COMMON VIPER. Hic 
ferruginous red, with zigzag markings down the back, 
resembling in form those of the Common Viper; but 
instead of being black, or dark brown, they are of a deep 
mahogany colour; also a series of irregular spots of the 
same colour along each side; the zigzag line terminates at 
the back of the head in a heart-shaped spot, placed be- 
tween two converging dark-coloured bands, which meet on 
the top of the head, and again diverge towards the eyes; 
belly ferruginous like the back.” Mr. Strickland adds the 
fact which I have mentioned above, that the head is much 
broader and shorter than that of the Common Viper. 
The Prince of Musignano figures, in his Mauna Italica, as 
the true Chersea, a small Viper, considerably similar to 
our Red Viper, excepting in its colour, which is a light 
grey, with darker markings. There is in that figure, also, 
the greater breadth of head which is observable in our 
animal, together with a still more obtuse rostrum. The 
Prince’s figure is evidently taken from a young animal, 
which may possibly belong to a different species. He 
terms the V. Berus, ‘‘marasso palustre,” and his V. Cher- 
sea, ‘‘ marasso alpino,”—a distinction certainly not sus- 
tained by our two varieties. After all, the question whe- 
ther it be the Coluber Chersea of Linneus, and whether, 
if not so, this last-mentioned species be distinct from 
the Common Viper, is one of considerable doubt and 
obscurity. 
The second variety (var. y of Jenyns), is described as 
a distinct species by the Rev. R. Sheppard in the Linnean 
Transactions, under the name of Coluber cwruleus, or Blue- 
bellied Viper. It scarcely even deserves to be considered 
as a distinct variety, as the plumbeous belly by which 
it is characterized is rather a difference of degree than of 
hue. 
