SNAKES OF FICTION AND OF FACT. 53 



by the way, this 'nng' or 'collar' is not an invariable 

 mark. Sometimes the yellow is wanting altogether, and 

 only a white collar is displayed. At the time of 

 writing 1 there is one of these snakes at the Zoological 

 Gardens with not the least tint of yellow on its neck ; and 

 I have before me in alcohol a very young and beautiful 

 little specimen in which the white collar is very bright 

 and large, and set off with deep black behind it, but there 

 is not an approach to yellow or to a ring, the throat being 

 pure white. His Latin specific is therefore more appro- 

 priate than his English one, the collar being always there, 

 but not always the ring. 



Dr. Giinther divides the whole of the Ophidia into five 

 groups, and in briefly describing these I shall hope to con- 

 duct my readers towards a consideration of those remark- 

 able features which will be discussed under their various 

 heads, and which will exhibit the class as unique in their 

 marvellous organization and physical powers. 

 The five groups are — 



1. Burrowing Snakes. 



2. Ground Snakes. 



3. Tree Snakes. 



4. Fresh-Water Snakes. 



5. Sea Snakes. 



(i) The Burrowing Snakes live chiefly underground, some 

 of them working their way down like the worms ; and to 

 fit them for this life they are characterized by having short 

 stiff bodies covered with hard, firm, close scales, to form an 



^ January 18S2, 



