FEE-DE-LAXCE. 79 



on the ground. A rudiment of the curious caudal appendage of 

 the American Kattle&nakes is found as a simple spine-like scale in 

 the Asiatic species, constituting the genus Halys. 



Some have the head covered with scales, having small shields 

 on the edge of the forehead and hrows ; the cheeks are scal}^ and 

 the tail ends in a spiue. Of these, the American genus Craspe- 

 docephalus and the Asiatic genus Trimeresurus have the sub-caudal 

 plates two-rowed to the tip. 



The genus Craspedocephalas comprises the terrible Fer-de-lance 

 of certain islands in the West Indies, which occurs on the main- 

 land of South America, where four other species are recognised 

 — one of them being found as far north as Mexico.] 



The Fer-de-lance (C lanceolatus) is met with in Martinique, 



-^i^' ^"*^^ 



Fig. 19. — Fer-de-lance {Triyonocepkala mycala) 



Santa Lucia, and in the little island of Boquin, near St. Vincent. 

 It attains to a length of nearly six feet ; its colour is not always 

 yellow, sometimes it is greyish, and even marbled with brown ; the 



