42 8 / SNAKES. 



modern ophiologists, see p. 13 of Gray, and p. i486, tome vii. 

 pt. ii. of Dumerll et Bibron. From these authors we may go 

 back to Marcgrave, 1648, for the ' Cvrvcvcv Brazilieiisibiis, 

 fifteen palms long-, truculent and much to be feared.' 

 Marcgrave's book is embellished with marvellous pictures 

 which are not likely to enlighten us much ; but through him 

 we are enabled to Identify some "of his serpents with the 

 vernaculars, for, like the Pilgrim Purchas, the vernaculars 

 were all he had to guide him. 



Authorities recognise six or seven species of Craspedo- 

 cepJialus^ presumably all having the easily distinguish- 

 able edge like a thin cord round their heads, and which 

 doubtless were the 'prominent Veines ' described by Purchas 

 in the Brazilian species, now generally recognised as ' tJie 

 Jararaca.' I will invite my readers to 'co-operate' and call 

 no harmless little snakes by this name, which originally 

 implied something terrible. 



'And what is the outcome of all this etymological 

 jumble V 



' Well, we at least learn that as in English the words 

 snake, adder, serpent, have a somewhat general signification, 

 so have some of the Brazilian vernaculars. But I cannot 

 help thinking that many of these names had more of natural 

 history in them than we are apt to suspect, though no doubt 

 the original meaning has become much corrupted during 

 three hundred years' colonization. The native races knew 

 quite well that some snakes were dangerous and some 

 harmless, which is more than can be said for the present 

 occupiers of South America, who think all venomous as a 

 matter of a course. 



