SNAKES 183 



L. lanceolatus, known by the name of Fer-de-Lance 

 in Martinique, in reference to its arrow-shaped head, and 

 of Jararaca, in Brazil, where it grows to a length of over 

 six feet, is the most dangerous and ferocious of the Pit- 

 Vipers, its bite, in the island of Martinique alone, where 

 it is very abundant in the coffee and sugar plantations, 

 accounting annually for more than a hundred deaths. 

 The coloration of this snake is most variable, and may be 

 dark or light brown, grey, olive, or reddish above, with or 

 without dark spots or cross-bars, or with dark triangles on 

 the sides, enclosing pale rhombs ; a dark streak from the 

 eye to the angle of the mouth is constant. The Fer- 

 de-Lance, although not so hardy as some of the repre- 

 sentatives of the genus Ancistrodon, will, nevertheless, 

 live for several years in captivity, feeding on rats, 

 guinea-pigs, and large lizards. Like some other snakes it 

 has a habit of vibrating the end of the tail when excited or 

 alarmed, and thus, when resting among dry leaves, produces 

 sounds similar to those of the Rattlesnakes. 



The BusHMASTER, L. mutus, of Central and Tropical 

 America, which reaches a length of eight feet, being the 

 largest viperine snake, is yellow or pinkish in colour on 

 the back, with a series of large rhomboidal black spots ; 

 a black streak extends from the eye to the angle of the 

 mouth. This handsome creature inhabits damp forest 

 districts, where it spends much of its time in the holes 

 of armadillos and other animals. In captivity it un- 

 fortunately does extremely badly, no specimens having 

 been kept under artificial conditions for much more than 

 six months, almost invariably succumbing to starvation 

 and " casting disease." Mr. R. R. Mole, who has on 



