ae 
. . Rafinesque on the Red Adder. gS 
. 
“onsidered as deaf, because he is easily surprised, and does 
not appear to hear the noise of your approach. . 
It belongs to the genus scytalus of Daudin, &c., which differs 
from the Boa of Linnzus, as the genus Vipera does from Colu- 
ber, being provided with fangs. Ihave given to it the name- 
of Scytalus Cupreus, which means coppered scytalus. The 
following definition of the species may be considered as com- 
parative and characteristic. 
Scytalus Cupreus. Tail one-eighth of total length, with 45 
caudal plates entirely brown; 150 abdominal plates, the last 
very broad; head oval, coppered above, yellow underneath> 
scales carinated on the back, which is coppered, with reddish 
brown rings cross-shaped ; belly variegated of brownish. — 
Description. Total length about three feet; body thicker 
than in the innocent snakes. Head large, broad, oval, obtuse, 
very distinct from the weck, nearly two inches long, flattened, 
coppered brown above, and covered with large, smooth scales; 
yellow underneath, as well as the neck, and with rhomboidal 
smooth scales. Mouth very large; fangs yellowish white. Back 
flattened anteriorly, a little angular in the middle, covered 
with small rhomboidal, obtuse, keeled scales; those of the 
sides larger and smooth, not keeled; centre of the back of a 
brownish copper colour; sides of a bright copper ; broad bands 
or rings, becoming forked on each side, and assuming nearly 
the shape of a St. Andrew’s cross; they are of a reddish 
brown: there is a round spot opposite to the sinusses, and the 
Scales of the sides are minutely dotted of brown. The abdo- 
minal plates are 150, beginning under .the head; the last, 
covering the vent, is very broad, double the other: they are 
of a shining, pale copper colour, with two longitudinal and 
lateral rows of great, irregular, brown spots, with some light 
brownish clouds between them, and each plate is marginated 
of whitish. The belly is very flat and broad, about 13 inch is 
diameter ; and the skin may be distended on the sides, when 
the animal is not fed. Tail short, tapering gradually, about 
four inches long, cyliadrical, brown, without spots, with 45 
Plates underneath, and having at the end a small, obtuse, horn 
