REMARKS EXTRACTED FROM DR. SIBTHORFS JOURNALS. 287 



Remarks on some of the Greek Serpents. 



At Naxia, a species of serpent was killed whose eyes were 

 singularly small ; the Greeks called it Tuphlites, from TutpXoV ; this 

 we were told was a species highly venomous, and that the bite would 

 prove fatal in a few hours. At Patmos, two species were killed ; 

 one having the back waved with black on a greyish ground, with a 

 flattened head, appeared to have all the marks of a species highly 

 venomous. The islanders called it o(pi^!. Another which from its 

 long slender form I judged to be perfectly harmless, they called 

 ZoiiTrci or arrow, from the manner in which it shoots or darts itself. 

 We were told of a third species, called Tro^SoKoXoyog, this was represented 

 to us as of enormous size. The Aparea is a large serpent ; another 

 species which has the head erected, and is called xocT^uXd^t, is very 

 venomous. 



July 22. — On my return from the Piraeus I found a peasant 

 waiting for me with different species of serpents ; one small but 

 beautifully waved with red lines ; this he called Astroites ; another, 

 a very minute sort, a species of Anguis, called Helios ; of the last 

 the bite was said to be exceedingly venomous. Its appearance was 

 that of the garden worm ; I should, notwithstanding the report, sup- 

 pose it to be innocent. 



