-»""■] CUIMOUS SNAKE. 97 



tance of six feet. As often as tlie animal was irritated or 

 surprised, its tail was shaken ; and the vibrations were extremely 

 i-apid. Even as long as the body retained its irritability, a 

 tendency to this habitual movement was evident. This Trigo- 

 nocephalus has, therefore, in some respects the structure of a 

 viper, with the habits of a rattlesnake : the noise, however, being 

 produced by a simpler device. The expression of this snakeV 

 face was hideous and fierce ; the pupil consisted of a vertical slit 

 in a mottled and coppery iris ; the jaws were broad at the base, 

 and the nose terminated in a triangular projection. I do not 

 think I ever saw any thing more ugly, excepting, perhaps^ 

 some of the vampire bats. I imagine this repulsive aspect ori- 

 ginates from the features being placed in positions, with respect 

 to each other, somewhat proportional to those of the human 

 face ; and tlius we obtain a scale of hideousness. 



Amongst the Batrachian reptiles, I found only one little toad 

 (Phryniscus nigricans), which was most singular from its colour. 

 If we imagine, first, that it had been steeped in the blackest ink, 

 and then, when dry, allowed to crawl over a board, freshly 

 painted with the brightest vermilion, so as to colour the soles ol 

 its feet and parts of its stomach, a good idea of its appearance 

 will be gained. If it had been an unnamed species, surely it 

 ought to have been called Diaholiciis, for it is a fit toad to 

 preach in (he ear of Eve. Instead of being nocturnal in its 

 itabits, a,s other toads are, and living in damp obscure recesses, 

 it crawls during the heat of the day about the dry sand-hillocks 

 and arid plains, where not a single drop of water can be found. 

 It must necessarily depend on the dew for its moisture ; and this 

 probably is absorbed by the skin, for it is known, that these 

 reptiles possess great powers of cutaneous absorption. At Mal- 

 donado, 1 found one in a situation nearly as dry as at Bahia 

 Blanca, and thinking to give it a great treat, carried it to a pool 

 of water ; not only was tlie little animal unable to swim, but, I 

 think without help it w^ould soon have been drowned. 



Of lizards there were many kinds, but only one (ProctotretUvs 

 niultimaculatus) remarkable from its habits. It lives on the 

 bare sand near the sea coast, and from its mottled colour, the 

 brownish scales being speckled with white, yellowish red, and 

 dirty blue, can hardly be distinguished from the surrounding 



