GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF POISONOUS SNAKES 3 
but in North America the Rattlesnake and the Moccassin are 
especially deadly. © 
In France the Common Viper abounds in Jura, Isère, Ardèche, 
Auvergne, Vendée, and the Forest of Fontainebleau. Three 
hundred thousand have been killed in twenty-seven years in the 
Department of Haute-Saône alone. Every year this snake causes 
the death of some sixty persons. Cow-herds, shepherds, and 
sportsmen fear it greatly, since it is very dangerous to cattle, 
sheep, and dogs. 
I].—GENERAL CLASSIFICATION OF Poisonous SNAKES. THEIR 
ANATOMO-PHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERS. 
Poisonous snakes are divided by naturalists into two great 
Families, the COLUBRIDÆ and VIPERIDÆ, distinguished from each 
other by certain anatomical characters, and especially by the 
dentition. 
The COLUBRIDÆ resemble harmless snakes, which renders them 
all the more dangerous. 
They are divided into two groups: OPISTHOGLYPHA (Oro ber, 
behind ; yAvhy, a groove) and PROTEROGLYPHA (rporepor, before ; 
VAvhy, à groove). 
The OPISTHOGLYPHA have the upper jaws furnished in front 
with smooth or non-grooved teeth, but behind with one or several 
rows of long, canaliculate teeth. 
This group includes three Sub-families :-— 
A. The Homalopsine, having valved nostrils, placed above the 
snout. 
B. The Dipsadomorphine, in which the nostrils are lateral in 
position, and the dentition is highly developed. 
C. The Ælachistodontine, which have but rudimentary teeth 
only on the posterior portion of the maxillary, on the palatine 
and on the pterygoid bones. 
Almost all the snakes belonging to these three sub-families are 
