THE XENODONS. 397 



gives its scientific name, Bothrops Jararaca\ and that it is * a 

 native to {sic) Brazil.' 



* Oh ! if a Bothrops, then it is one of the Crotalidce' was the 

 decision arrived at. Kingsley, in his At Last, mentions 

 a ' mangrove snake, much dreaded by being so Hke the 

 deadly Cascobel, viz. Ti'igonoccphahis jararaca' Thus 

 with our puzzle we combine a Bothfops with the 'pit;' a 

 Trigonocephahis with the worst of the viperine heads ; and 

 according to Wallace, a Craspedoccphahis, which, at a 

 guess, must be that it has something rough about the head 

 to entitle it to this specific. 



Few of the encyclopedias described it individually, or 

 threw more light upon it. Worcester's dictionary states that 

 the Jararaca is ' a species of venomous American serpent 

 seldom exceeding eighteen inches ;' and gives Wright as an 

 authority. Spix and Martin 1 in their list of venomous 

 snakes describe Jararaaicii, called also Shiraraca, as a 

 Bothrops ; and also a Jararaca mirim, a small one. Marc- 



» 



gravius^ figures a lararaca^ a small snake of a bright red 

 with black spots. 



And now for our old friend the Pilgrim Purchas. * Of 

 snakes that have Poison, Jararaca is a Name that compre- 

 hendeth foure kinds. The first is the greatest /. There 

 are other smaller Jararacas, about half a Yard long. They 

 have certaine Veines in their Head like the Vipers.' 



Have those 'prominent veins anything to do with its 

 name CraspedocepJialus ' } But how about its being only 

 eighteen inches ? This was the pursuit of snakes under 



^ Travels in Brazil. London, 1824. 



^ Historice Rervm Natvralivm Brazilia. Antwerp. 



