SNAKES 



199 



splinters of wood into its licad, so that it resembled the rarer horned variety- The PUFF- 

 ADDER, the largest member of its tribe, may attain to a length of 6 feet or more, and is 

 distributed throughout the African Continent. Its thick body is ahnost triangular in section, 

 the head very large, fiat, and bluntlv rounded anteriorly, while the eyes have a particularly 

 fierce, stony, and repulsive aspect. In colour individuals vary considerably, but there is generally 

 a chequered pattern of reds, browns, and gre\-s, disposed in the form of darker and lighter 

 alternating crescent-shaped bands along the back. The poison of this snake is nearly as 

 virulent as that of the horned viper, and is commonly used b_\- the African bushmen for 

 poisoning their arrows. 



The Viperine group is abundantly represented in the New World, where its members 

 differ from the typical Old World species in sundr}' anatomical points, one of the most con- 

 spicuous features being the presence of a distinct depression or pit in the surface of the head 

 between the nostril and the eye on either side. On this account the)' are distinguished 

 by the title of PlT-viPERS. Among the more familiar representatives of this group are the 

 R.\TTLE-sNAKES, the Fer-de-lance, the Busn-MASTER, and the Coi'I'ER-head or Mocassin- 

 snakes. All these are notoriously venomous, fata! eflects from bites received by human subjects 

 being of frequent recurrence. The Rattle-SNAKES are especiall)- distinguished b\- the peculiar, 

 loosely jointed, horny appendage to their tails, b\- the rapid vibration of which, when disturbed, 

 they fortunately give timely notice of their presence. In the _\'oung indiv'iduals this rattle 

 is only represented bj' a single button-like knob, additional loose, hollow, horny rings being 

 added between it and the scaly termination of the tail as age increases. In full-grown 

 examples the horny rings composing the rattle ma_\- number as many as twent}' or more, 

 though, owing to the war of extermination incessantly levied against these reptiles in all 

 civilised areas, it is rarely that such elaborate rattle-bearers are now met with. The rattle- 

 snake, in the more northern districts of its distribution, hibernates in the winter, often 

 congregating together in great nuinbers for the sake of the mutual warmth. In the earlier 

 days certain caves were famous as the retreats into which not onl}' hundreds but thousands 

 of the reptiles would congregate from the countr_\' round for their winter's slumber. At such 

 times hunting-parties were specially organised for their wholesale destruction, and accomplished 

 much towards reducing their ranks to their present numbers. 



In addition to the common North American rattle-snake there are some four or five 

 other species distributed throughout the Southern States, Mexico, and Panama. None appear 

 to exceed a length of 6 feet. In South America their place is to a large extent taken 



Ml:-^ 





B/ ffr'Tiiiii.n >f :hi Niui r»ri Ztdagual Sc.irtt 



FER-DE-LANCE SNAKE 



One of the fiercest and most I'enomous of American fiperine snakes 



