Qd Notices respecting New Books. 



General Zoolooy, or Si/sfematic Natural History/, hij Grorcc 

 Shaw, JV/. £). F. it, S. &c. with Plates from thejirst J//~ 

 thoritieSy and most select Specimens engraved principally 

 hj Mr. Heath. Vol. III. Parts l and 2. Kearsley, 1802. 



Having already noticed the two prccedint; volumes of 

 this useful work, we shall only observe, tloat the one now 

 announced seems to be executed with the same care and 

 attention, and that the plates are engraved in the same style 

 of excellence. The two parts of this volume contain am- 

 phibia; comprehending tortoises, frogs, toads, hzards, and 

 serpents, As a specimen of the work, we subjoin the follow- 

 ing account of the Coluber Naja : 



The coluber naja, or cobra dc capello, is a native of 

 India, where it appears to be one of the most common, as 

 well as most noxious, of the serpent tribe; very frequently 

 proving fatal, in the space of a tew minutes, to those who 

 unfortunately experience its bite. Its remarkable form and 

 colours are such as to distinguish it with great case from 

 almost every other snake. Its general length seems to be 

 three or four feet, and the diameter of the body about an 

 inch and quarter : the head is rather small than large, and 

 is covercaon the fore part with large smooth scales, re- 

 sembling in this respect the majority of innoxious serpents; 

 the back part, sides, and neck, with smaller ovate scales ; 

 and the remainder of the animal, on the upper parts, with 

 small, distinct, oblong-oval scales, not ill resembling tlie 

 general form of a grain of rice. At a small distance be-, 

 yond the head is a lateral swelling or dilatation of the skin, 

 which is Qontinued to the distaiice of about four inches 

 downwards, where the outline gradually sinks into the cy- 

 lindric form of the rest of the body. Tiiis part is exten- 

 sile, at the pleasure of the animal ; and when viewed from 

 above, while in its most extended state, is of a somewhat 

 cordated form, or wider at the upper than the lower part ; 

 it -is marked above by a very large and conspicuous patch or 

 spot, greatly rescmblmg the figure of a pair of spectacles ; 

 the mark itself being white with black edges, and the mid- 

 dle of each of the rcnmded parts black. This mark is more 

 • or less distinct in different individuals, and also varies occa- 

 sionally in size and form, and in some is even altogether 

 wanting, The usual colour of the animal is a pale ferrugi- 

 nous brown above ; the under parts being of a blueish white, 

 sometimes slightly tinged with pale brown, or yellow: the 

 ta:l, \\hieh is of moderate length, tapers gradually^ and ter- 

 minates in a slender, sharp-pointed extremity. 



This 



