200 



SERPENT SERPENTINE. 



power of dilating laterally the head and upper part 

 of the neck, and, in this state, makes a formidable 

 appearance. It is widely diffused through the 

 (Jnited States, but, like many others, is not found 



eastward of the Hudson river The black snake 



(coluber constrictor) is found throughout the United 

 States. The colour is black, inclining to slate 

 colour beneath, with the throat and lips white. 

 The scales are smooth. It grows to the length of 

 six feet, and its motions are very rapid. The chain 

 snake (C. getulus) is an allied species also, with 

 smooth scales. The colours are black and white, 

 the black predominating. The white often forms 

 transverse lines on the back, which unite on the 

 sides, thus forming the semblance of a chain. The 

 markings are, however, extremely variable; and in- 

 dividuals are found entirely black, thickly sprinkled 

 with regularly oval white specks. It inhabits the 

 Southern States, but is sometimes found as far 

 north as New Jersey The coach-whip snake {C. 

 filiformis) is a very long and slender species, rarely 

 found, and only in the more southern states. 

 The water snake (C. sipedon) is found in all parts 

 of the United States, and is very common in the 

 vicinity of Philadelphia. Its usual colour is brown 

 on the back, beneath pale, with indistinct dark 

 spots ; but the markings vary exceedingly, and it is 

 often found transversely banded with white. This 

 variation has given rise to much confusion in the 

 hooks, where it is repeatedly described under dif- 

 ferent names. The body is thick in proportion, 

 and it attains large dimensions, sometimes growing 

 to the length of five feet. It frequents exclusively 

 the borders of streams, and, wben disturbed, often 

 takes refuge in them, and conceals itself at the bot- 

 tom The striped or garter snake (C. sirtalis) is 

 the most common species in most parts of the United 

 States. The colour is brown above, with black 

 specks, and three longitudinal lines of greenish yel- 

 low The collared snake (C. Edwardsii) ; a small 

 species, of a dark leaden colour on the back, having 

 a whitish band disposed across the back of the head. 

 It is found under the bark of trees, from lat. 43 to 

 South Carolina C. Amcenus (Say); a still smaller 

 species, with a remarkably small head; the colour 

 brownish above, and reddish beneath; the scales 

 smooth. It is found, beneath stones and logs, in 



the vicinity of Philadelphia, but is rare C. sep- 



temvittatus (Say); with seven longitudinal blackish 

 lines, three above, and four beneath; the general 

 colour, brown above, and yellowish beneath; a 

 small species, inhabiting the Middle and Western 

 States The scarlet snake (C. coccineus), beauti- 

 fully marked with scarlet, black, and yellow, in- 

 habits the Southern States The green snake (C. 

 cestivus) ; a small species, entirely of a bright green 

 colour. The scales are carinated. It is found in 

 the Southern States C. vernalis; another green 

 snake, resembling the former, but with smooth 



scales, inhabiting the Northern and Middle States 



The pine snake (C. melanoleucus); one of the larg- 

 est species, attaining the length of eight feet. The 

 colour is whitish, with large blackish spots. It is 

 common in New Jersey, and is found in all the more 

 southern and western parts of the United States, 

 and even beyond the Mississippi. It is of a gentle 

 disposition, and is sometimes tamed and kept about 

 houses The chicken snake, or house snake (C. 

 guttatus), is a beautiful species. The body is 

 elongated, somewhat flattened on the back, with 

 smooth scales; the colour whitish; a row of large 

 brownish spots, bordered with black, upon the 



back; a second series of smaller and darker ones on 

 L-iicii side, alternating with the former; beneath, 

 with small, square, black specks. The abdominal 

 plates and subcaudal scales are very numerous. It 

 attains a large size, and inhabits all parts of the 

 United States, from Canada to Florida, as also the 

 trans-Mississippi region. Although it is pretty con- 

 stant in its markings, no one of the snakes has been 

 the occasion of so much confusion among systematic 

 writers; and it appears repeatedly in the books 

 under a great variety of specific names. The glass 

 snake of the Southern States is destitute of feet, 

 and possesses many of the external characters of a 

 serpent ; but its anatomical structure shows it to 

 belong to the family of lizards. It is excessively 

 brittle, and is broken with the slightest blow; 

 which circumstance has given rise to the name. 



SERPENT-EATER (serpentarius) ; a remark- 

 able South African bird, belonging to the rapaces, 

 or birds of prey, but differing from the hawks and 

 owls in having feet incapable of grasping, and very 

 long legs. Accordingly, it keeps constantly on the 

 ground, in sandy and open places, and wages con- 

 tinual war against reptiles, especially serpents., 

 which it pursues on foot. It runs with great ra. 

 pidity. In every respect except the feet, the ana. 

 tomical structure is the same with that of the eagle. 

 When this bird attacks a serpent, it covers its breast 

 with one wing, to protect itself from the bite, and 

 with the other strikes violent blows, until it has 

 stunned its prey. It then breaks the cranium with 

 the beak, and tears the reptile in pieces, or, if 

 small, swallows it entire. The serpent-eater is 

 easily tamed, and is often kept in poultry-yards by 

 the inhabitants of the cape of Good Hope, for the 

 purpose of destroying lizards, snakes, rats, &c. It 

 soon becomes habituated to the poultry ; but care 

 must be taken not to leave it fasting too long, for 

 on such occasions it does not scruple to satisfy its 

 hunger with the young chickens. The wild bird 

 is very shy, and difficult of approach. This bird is 

 sometimes called the secretary, from some long 

 feathers on the back of the head, in allusion to the 

 custom of placing pens behind the ear. 



SERPENTINE; an abundant mineral, which 

 almost invariably occurs destitute of a regular crys- 

 talline form. A few instances of crystalized ser- 

 pentine, however, have been observed, and the 

 form appears to be aright rectangular prism. The 

 massive varieties have a granular, or impalpable 

 composition, and present red, brown, black, yellow, 

 and gray colours, in veined, spotted, and other de- 

 lineations. Fracture flat, conchoidal, or uneven; 

 surface almost dull; lustre resinous, indistinct; 

 streak white, acquires some lustre; translucent to 

 opaque; sectile; hardness about that of calcareous 

 spar; specific gravity 2-5. Serpentine is generally 

 divided into two sub-species, the common and precious 

 serpentine, the former of which consists of those 

 varieties which are destitute of handsome colours, 

 while the latter includes all such as, from the in- 

 tensity and arrangement of their hues, are suited 

 to purposes of ornament. Serpentine hardens on 

 being exposed to the fire, and melts only (with 

 great difficulty) on the edges. According to John, 

 it consists of 



Silica . 42-50 



Magnesia, 38-63 



Aluraine, 1-00 



Lime, 0-25 



Oxido of iron, P50 



Oxide of manganese, 0-02 



Oxide of chrome 0-25 



Water 15-20 , 



