402 Mr. J. J. Quelch on the 



looks through a collection of smaller lizards preserved in 

 alcohol will scarcely gain an idea of the splendour of colour 

 that many of the faded carcases may exhibit in life. At any 

 rate, for the purpose of an exhaustive study of Lacertilia the 

 observation of living material can be much less easily 

 dispensed with than in the case of the Ophidia. It would 

 therefore be desirable that such zoological gardens as seek to 

 advance science should direct their attention more than 

 hitherto to the importation of the first-mentioned animals. 

 With the commercial relations that Germany possesses a 

 successful result should not be difficult of attainment, and 

 should scarcely entail any considerable monetary sacrifice. 



LVI. — The Poisonous Snakes of British Guiana. 

 By J. J. Quelch, B.Sc (Lond.), C.M.Z.S * 



Tf an ordinarily well-informed person be questioned as to the 

 abundance or paucity of poisonous snakes in the Colony, no 

 doubt the answer would deal rather with swarms than with a 

 few, with the implication not only of numbers of any one 

 particular kind, but also of many different species. And yet, 

 as a fact, there are only about eight well-marked different 

 species, of which two pit-vipers only are of such common 

 occurrence as to present some element of dread to general 

 travellers. In the open savannahs or cleared lands and on 

 the sparsely clumped sandy wastes the rattlesnake is likely 

 to be encountered, while in the forest itself or adjoining lands 

 the labarria (known variously in different districts as Jararaca 

 or Fer-de-lance) takes its place. 



Of the remaining six species two are pit-vipers and four 

 coral-snakes ; but while, from their general size and character, 

 the pit-vipers and one of the coral-snakes are certainly to be 

 feared if met with, the other three seem to be usually alto- 

 gether inoffensive creatures, and, in fact, much less ready or 

 more disinclined to bite if irritated or handled than the gene- 

 rality of the common harmless snakes. 



In using the term poisonous snakes it must be understood 

 to refer only to those special forms which, from the perfection 

 of the poison-apparatus, are able to cause serious injury or 

 death to man and other large mammals. Such are the vipers 

 and those members of the Colubrine division which bear 



* From ' Timehri : the Journal of the Royal Agricultural and Com- 

 mercial Society of British Guiana,' vol. xii. part i., new ser., 1898, 

 pp. 26-36. 



