SNAKES, 243 
Asia feed chiefly on skinks, whose closely-scaled bodies they are 
able to pierce by means of their fang-like teeth; and those of 
Africa live principally upon small rodents, such as mice. They 
are all ground Snakes, and mostly of an earth-brown colour. 
Their bodies are generally slender, and the entire length of the 
longest of them does not often exceed 3ft. 
The Aulic Lycodon has a small eye, with a vertically elongated 
pupil, a depressed snout and swollen lips, one prze-ocular, and, 
generally, two post-oculars, nine upper labials, of which the third, 
fourth, and fifth touch the eye. Its scales are smooth, and placed 
in seventeen rows. The upper parts are chiefly of an earth-brown 
colour, uniform, or marked with white. The coloration of the 
species, however, is very varied.. The Aulic Lycodon should be 
kept in a heated Vivarium, and fed upon lizards or slow-worms, 
or, if it can be induced to take them, on young mice. This Snake 
is not easily tamed, and is generally ready to bite, making, when 
it succeeds in doing so, owing to its long front teeth, a larger 
wound than most Snakes of its size could do. 
The Hoary Snake (Pseudaspis cana, Boulenger ; or Coronella 
cand, Dum. and Bibr.) is not infrequently imported into this 
country, where it lives fairly well in confinement. It is the only 
representative of its genus, according to Mr. Boulenger. By 
some other authorities it is classed among the Coronelle. This 
Snake’s head is short, pointed in front and broad behind. The 
scales are placed in from twenty-seven to thirty-one rows, and are 
smooth and pitted; the ventrals number from 175 to 212; and 
the sub-caudals 50 to 70 pairs; and the anal scute is divided. 
The adult members of this species vary much in colour, and 
are pale brown, dark brown, reddish-brown, and blackish-ash. 
Sometimes these colours are uniform, and sometimes spotted 
more or less distinctly. The younger specimens are pale 
brown above, marked with dark brown white-edged spots. The 
underparts are yellowish-brown, either uniform or spotted with 
black. 
The Hoary Snake, except during the warmest months of the 
year, should be kept ina heated case. As food, it ought to be 
provided with mice and small rats. It isa native of South Africa, 
and occasionally grows to a length of more than 5ft., of which its 
= R 2 
