26OO 



SCALED REPTILES 



mark, and thence suddenly to dart out on any passing animal. So great is the 

 terror which its sight inspires in horses, that I have known mine, when I was riding 

 in the Sahara, suddenly start and rear, trembling and perspiring in every limb, and 

 no persuasion would induce him to proceed. I was quite unable to account for his 

 terror, until I noticed a cerastes coiled up in a depression two or three paces in 

 front, with its basilisk eyes steadily fixed on us, and no doubt preparing for a 

 spring as the horse passed," According to Bruce, this snake, when about to 

 attack, moves rapidly forward with a sideways motion, unlike that of any other 

 serpent. Attacking when quite unprovoked, the horned viper is more dreaded 

 than any other North-African snake, men frequently dying from its bite within 

 half an hour. Its food consists of desert-haunting rodents, together with lizards,, 

 and perhaps birds. 



THE EJA OR DESERT SAW VIPER 

 (Three-fifths natural size.) 



Desert Saw 

 Vipers 



While agreeing with the horned vipers in having the lateral 

 body scales arranged in oblique rows, the present genus may be dis- 

 tinguished by its two species having but a single series of shields 

 beneath the tail, as well as by the absence of horns. The upper surface of the head 

 is covered with scales, and the keeled scales of the body form from twenty-five to 

 thirty-five rows. The common desert saw viper, or as it is called in Egypt, eja 

 (Echis carinata} attains a length of about two feet; and has the keels on the lateral 

 scales of the body strongly serrated. In color it varies from pale buff to grayish, 

 reddish, or pale brown on the upper parts, with three series of whitish spots edged 

 with dark brown, in addition to which there may be a dark brown zigzag band 

 along each side, while the head is ornamented with a cross or arrowhead mark; 

 and the under parts are whitish, either with or without brown dots. This species 



