426 SNAKES. 



species. Probably wherever snakes abound, the vernaculars 

 are correspondingly numerous. 



' And after all which is the Curucucu, and which is the 

 Jararaca ?' Being the proud possessor of both, I may describe 

 them from nature ; but conflicting opinions as to their identity 

 still exist, because there are features in common among 

 congeneric species, and what one author may decide is the 

 Curucucu another w^ill call the Jararaca. Dumeril, Gray, 

 Gunther, and other modern ophiologists have, however, so 

 far simplified difficulties, as to recognise only one of each in 

 our zoological collections, notwithstanding the liberal use of 

 both terms in Brazil. 



Our Cumcucu, then, Lacliesis or Crotalus inutus, has the flat, 

 viperine head, covered with fine scales. The only plates 

 are the upper and lower labials, one over the eye, and a pair 

 of rather large ones under the chin. The 'pit' is very 

 distinct, showing it to be a BotJwops and one of the 

 Crotalidce. The body colour is of a pale maize, approaching 

 umber towards the back, and lighter on the belly, with a 

 chain of rich chocolate-brown, jagged, rhomboid spots, edged 

 with darker tints, along the back. It is undeniably hand- 

 some, and in life no doubt was iridescent, but alas for the 

 * rainbow splendours,' they have vanished ! In length it is 

 about nine feet, and in girth as big as one's arm in the largest 

 part. Its tail tapers suddenly. One sees in the strongly- 

 keeled scales the ' prominences' alluded to by Dr. Wucherer ; 

 and as the fangs are represented life-size on p. 360, the 

 reader can judge for himself about the 'four-inch nails.' 

 Mine is probably a nearly full-grown serpent, therefore an 

 average-size specimen, and much the same as the one brought 



