THE BEPTILES OF NOETH CHINA, &c. 



163 



black. Neither of these species reach a great size, usually being 

 about two feet in length. The Manchurian species is very common. 

 I came across them frequently last summer, when I had a startling 

 proof of the soundness of my rule in always treating a snake as a 

 poisonous variety until I have examined its fangs and found it harm- 

 less. For the first part of my stay in that country I came across 

 only harmless black and brown snakes, with the result that I came to 

 the conclusion titoat there were no poisonous kinds. Under this 

 impression I frequently went about the woods with low shoes and no 

 stockings, and sometimes even bare-footed. One day a snake darted 

 out of the path ahead of me into the thick brush. Though exactly 

 the colour of several harmless ones I had caught, it struck me as being 

 unusually thick in the body, so that when I came across another a 

 few minutes later, I caught it by putting the butt of my gun on its 

 head and picked it up by the neck. Next moment I realized that I 

 had a deadly viper in my hands, as I saw the ugly head, gaping jaws 

 and poison fangs. Fortunately I had a little brass wire in my pocket, 

 and I slipped a noose over the reptile's head and carried it back to 

 camp. After that I always wore high boots or putties. 



A. HEAD OF POISONOUS SNAKE (Viper). 

 B. HEAD OF NON-POISONOUS SNAKE (Watersnake). 



The commonest snake in North China is the coluber (Coluber 

 dione), a species which very much resembles the viper in appearance. 

 It is found in Shansi, Shensi, Kansu, Mongolia, North and 

 West Chihli and also in Manchuria. It varies considerably in colour, 



