POISONOUS SNAKES 



anatomical distinctions between various snakes. So 

 that the poisonous vipers are not nowadays placed 

 with poisonous cobras. These Colubridae, which are 

 poisonous, are usually grouped together into two series, 

 named in accordance with the fact that the poison fangs 

 are anterior or posterior. In the " Proteroglypha " it is 

 some of the anterior teeth in the upper jaw which are 

 grooved and transmit the deadly venom. In the " Opis- 

 thoglypha' ' it is on the contrary, the posterior. The fangs 

 of the viper are dealt with under the description of the 

 tree viper below. The essential difference between the 

 venomous colubrine and the venomous viper is the 

 reduction of the poison fangs, and the maxillary bone 

 which bears them, in the latter, and the fact that the 

 teeth are not merely grooved for the transmission of the 

 ducts of the salivary glands which secrete the poison, 

 but actually perforated at the base as well as grooved 

 further up. 



THE SUCURUJU OR ANACONDA 



The first of the two above names is the best one to use 

 for this, the largest of the snake tribe. For it is actually 

 an " Indian " word in use in South America, whereas 

 anaconda is apparently Ceylonese in origin. Another 

 vernacular name is Water Camoodie, in contrast to 

 Camoodie, which refers in British Guiana to the boas, 

 including the well-known Boa constrictor. Eunectes muri- 

 nus is the technical name of the best known species of 

 anaconda, for of these snakes there are more than one 

 kind. They inhabit only tropical South America, and 

 would seem to be undoubtedly the largest living serpent. 

 Thirty-three feet has been registered, and others say 

 thirty-seven, or even over forty. But skins will stretch 

 and imaginations also. Still it is big, and its size may 

 be the cause, taken into conjunction with its habitat, 

 of part of the sea-serpent legends. There seems to be 

 Z.G, 257 S 



