Ill I 



VIPERin.K. 



VIPEHID.K. 



1113 



bold with great determination, and some considerable exertion b often 

 required to deUcb it. 



Head and Tall (under aide) of Tiprra (Ctratttt) eaudalii. (Smith.) 



The bead is distinct ; the body thick in proportion to its length ; 

 the tail abort, tapered, and pointed. Angles of the jaws very divergent, 

 giving greater width to the hinder part of the bead, the anterior 

 portion of which is narrower. Nose rounded ; nostrils near its apex, 

 each in the centre of a thick projecting scale. Eyebrows arched, each 

 armed near its middle with a slender pointed slightly-recurved spine, 

 about a b'ne or a line and a quarter in length. Scales of anterior part 

 of the head, particularly round the eyes, very small ; those between 

 and immediately behind the nostrils imperfectly carinated; on the 

 hinder part of the head they are oval, as on the body, and distinctly 

 carinated. On the back and sides they are arranged in longitudinal 

 rows ; and from the points of each row overlapping the base of those 

 immediately behind them, the cariuations form continuous ridges, 

 about twenty-seven in number generally. 



riftra (On-atta) caudalit. (Smith.) 



Echidna inornala, (Smith) in another African species. 



Back and aides dark yellowish-brown; belly brownish-yellow, 

 sparingly sprinkled with brownish dots; tail above, indistinctly 

 marked with dull brow spots or bars. Head oblong, heart-shaped, 

 length 1SJ inches. (Smith.) 



SekUna iiwrmala. (Smith.) 



Dr. Smith nntirci the fact that the Vipers and one or two spec>s 

 of Klap* are the only snakes of South Africa which ]rmit them- 

 selves generally to be closely approached without evincing any appar- 

 ent concern. The others manifest a disposition to act on the offensive 



or to fly : even an unusual noise, without its cause being visible, in 

 sufficient, he remarks, to insure the retreat of the innocuous or 



The different species of .Vai'o and the Elapi lubrictu (Merr.) ore, ho 

 observes, always ready for the fight ; and when their haunts are 

 invaded they often advance upon the intruder with the brad and 

 anterior part of the body almost perpendicular, the neck expanded, 

 and an expression sufficiently indicative of the malignant purpose they 

 have in view. "To witness such a proceeding," says Dr. Smith in 

 continuation, "once fell to my own lot Walking in the vicinity of 

 Graham's Town, I happened to excite the attention of a -Yum Hitma- 

 chalet, which immediately raked iU bead, and warned me of my 

 danger by the strength of its expiration ; it then commenced on 

 advance, and, had I not retired, I should in all probability have 

 suffered, provided I had not been fortunate enough to disable it, 

 which possibly would not have happened, considering that the species, 

 in common with others of the same genus, is extremely active. Kvcn 

 though I retired I was not satisfied the danger was past, as the flight 

 of this snake's enemy does not always put a stop to its advance when 

 once commenced." 



Dr. Smith figures three varieties of Naia Ilaje in his ' /oology of 

 South Africa ' and the young state of the serpent, with the synonyms 

 Echidna fava, Merr., Naianigra, Smith, Geel Copell, Bruin Copell, 

 and Spuugh-Slang of the Cape Colonists. 



yaia Ifa/r (young). (Smith.) 



Dr. Smith remarks that if this reptile be specifically different from 

 Naia Jfaje of Northern Africa, he had not, after closely comparing 

 them, been able to discover the differences which, in his opinion, could 

 justify him in regarding them as distinct. 



Spuugh-Slang (Xaia JIajt). 



Colour uniform livid blackih-lirown, the livid tinge lronget on tin 

 part*, forming nlinml a purplirh ulate-colour, which in very dark and hhinii K 

 towards the |I<MI|. (Smith.) 



The variety most rarely met with, according to Dr. Smith, is th 

 Spuugh-Slang (Spitting-Snake) of the colonists, go named from it* 



