COMMON VIPER. 73 



ferruginous red, with zigzag markings down the baek, 

 resembling in form those of the Common Viper; but 

 instead of being black, or dark brown, they are of a deep 

 mahogany colour; also a series of irregular spots of the 

 same colour along each side ; the zigzag line terminates at 

 the back of the head in a heart-shaped spot, placed be- 

 tween two converging dark-coloured bands, which meet on 

 the top of the head, and again diverge towards the eyes ; 

 belly ferruginous like the back." Mr. Strickland adds the 

 fact which I have mentioned above, that the head is much 

 broader and shorter than that of the Common Viper. 

 The Prince of Musignano figures, in his Fauna Italica, as 

 the true Chersea, a small Viper, considerably similar to 

 our Red Viper, excepting in its colour, which is a light 

 grey, with darker markings. There is in that figure, also, 

 the greater breadth of head which is observable in our 

 animal, together with a still more obtuse rostrum. The 

 Prince^ figure is evidently taken from a young animal, 

 which may possibly belong to a different species. He 

 terms the V. Berus, " marasso palustre," and his V. Cher- 

 sea^ " marasso alpino," 1 '' — a distinction certainly not sus- 

 tained by our two varieties. After all, the question whe- 

 ther it be the Coluber Chersea of Linneus, and whether, 

 if not so, this last-mentioned species be distinct from 

 the Common Viper, is one of considerable doubt and 

 obscurity. 



The second variety (var. y of Jenyns), is described as 

 a distinct species by the Rev. R. Sheppard in the Linnean 

 Transactions, under the name of Coluber coeruleus, or Blue- 

 bellied Viper. It scarcely even deserves to be considered 

 as a distinct variety, as the plumbeous belly by which 

 it is characterized is rather a difference of degree than of 

 hue. 



