SNAKES. 271 
ungrooved, and not connected with any poisonous glands. Besides, 
these movable teeth have not the position in the mouth of the 
ordinary poison-delivering fang. These movable teeth are sepa- 
rated from the rest of the comparatively few teeth in the 
maxillary jaws by a considerable interspace. 
X. colubrinus, which is also known as the Long-headed Snake 
(X. rhabdocephalus, Dum. and Bibr.), has a large and beautiful 
eye, a head which is slightly compressed and distinct from the 
neck, a square loreal, one prze-ocular, two post-oculars, eight upper 
labials, four or five lower labials, smooth and pitted scales ar- 
ranged in nineteen rows, ventrals which number from 131 to 
153, sub-caudals in from thirty-six to fifty pairs, and an anal scute 
which is undivided. The colour of the upper parts of this Snake’s 
body is lightish brown marked with darker brown black-edged 
eross-bands, which are interrupted in the middle. There is a 
dark marking on the crown of the head and on the nape of the 
neck, and there is also another dark band which runs from the 
eye to the angle of the mouth. The underparts are yellowish, 
covered thickly with small brown spots. The Long-headed Snake 
sometimes reaches a length of more than 3ft. 6in., of which the 
tail measures less than one-seventh. This Reptile, while in 
captivity in England, should be kept under the influence of 
artificial heat, and fed upon frogs. 
The Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon platyrhinus), notwithstand- 
ing its numerous terror-inspiring names, its movable fangs, and 
its viperish appearance, is a perfectly harmless and very gentle 
little Reptile. It is known as the ‘‘Chequered Adder,”’ the 
‘*Spreading Adder,” the ‘‘ Blowing Viper,” the ‘‘ Spread Head,”’ 
and the ‘‘ Hissing Snake.’’ These are some of its local titles, and 
there is, naturally, a reason for each of them. For example, the 
epithet ‘‘chequered”’ is given because of the markings on the 
creature’s back, and the names of ‘‘Adder”’ and ‘‘ Viper” 
because of its appearance. The adjective ‘‘spreading”’ is 
deserved by reason of the animal’s capacity of spreading or 
widening its neck. In this, to a certain extent, it resembles the 
Cobra and other Snakes. When frightened, H. platyrhinus 
flattens its head, and thus it earns the appellation of ‘‘Spread 
Head.” 
