32 2 SNAKES. 



now?^ pleaded the reader's devoted servant. 'You can't 

 want forty-one little dead vipers ! ' 



Suddenly to the rescue appeared on the scene no less a 

 personage than Dr. Gunther, and to him I urged my request. 

 'Well/ said he in reponse to my eagerness, 'one of Our Council 

 is here, and ' — Yes, the F.Z.S. referred to had, with the 

 Superintendent, just passed the iron barrier to view the 

 interesting little survivors, and Dr. Giinther followed, while I 

 discreetly remained outside. My suspense was not of long 

 duration, for soon reappeared the amiable Superintendent 

 daintily carrying a little paper bag which might have con- 

 tained bon-bons. ' Fortunately,' said he, ' two of Our Council 

 happen to be here, and so,' etc., and I became the happy 

 possessor of the scarcely cold viperling, here faithfully 

 represented by the side of its mother. Exultantly I carried 

 it off to a sequestered spot, — thinking chiefly of you, dear 

 readers, — and examined its 'horns,' which wore the appearance 

 of an ornamental top-knot rather than horns. They were 

 like a bow, or two little ears, or half-unfolded leaves. Its 

 colouring was gorgeous, but the pattern is too fine and 

 complicated to represent on so small a scale. The black 

 triangular mark on the head of both mother and child was 

 like velvet in its density. Nor was this appearance lessened 

 under the lens ; for quickly I ran off with my treasure, and 

 spent a delightful ' evening at home ' in studying its ' points/ 

 not even excepting those of tongue and fangs. The former 

 is represented on p. 120, and the latter on p. 360. The other 

 ' results of my investigations come under their separate heads 

 in this book. 



Another of the horned serpents, Vipera cormitdy has a 



