42 2 S^\4A'£S. 



name with a * handsome,' though not a ' rainbow-coloured ' 

 serpent. Sir J. Fayrer describes the OpJiiopJiagus as the 

 largest known venomous serpent 'except the Bushmaster, 

 which is said to attain fourteen feet.' 



By this time, in addition to the ever-varying vernaculars, 

 we learn of Waterton's 'Bushmaster' as LacJiesis iniitus ; 

 L. rJwuiheatus ; Crotalus mutiis ; Tj'igojwcepJiahis viutus. 



It will be observed that the word TrigonocepJialus is used 

 as a generic name by some naturalists, and as a specific 

 b)^ others ; and it may with reason be applied to most 

 of the American thanatophidia which are not elapidcc. It 

 therefore, at least, enables us to ascertain that the snake 

 of doubtful identity has this viperine characteristic of the 

 angular head ; and as there is only one very small true 

 viper at present known in the New World, we may further 

 decide that not being an Elaps, our puzzler is a BotJirops with 

 the doubles Jiarines, and therefore equally meriting cither 

 of the descriptives atropos, atrox,fiu'ia, megeui-a, clotJio, cop/iias, 

 and other such fearful appellatives freely used to designate 

 the deadly qualities of the worst class of serpents. In reply 

 to a communication of mine to Land and ]Vaier, of 2d 

 October iSSo, Dr. Stradlinc^^ entered more fullv into this 

 question of vernaculars, and what he says of Brazil we find 

 to be the case evervwhere : — 



* Whatever meaning the colloquial titles have is generally grounded on some 

 popular error.' 



This we saw in the case of Xenodon and Heterodon, both 

 called all sorts of bad names on account of their supposed 

 fangs. 



i Thanatophidia^ p. S. 



