Vipjius. i 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



115 



they are so in all the chalk counties. Vipers vary 

 ejii5iderab]v in colour ; hence we have the black 

 vnier. the blue-bellied viper, the red viper, the com- 

 mon viper, &c., which some naturalists have ven- 

 tured to regard as distinct species^whereas the 

 iiuth is they are mere vaiieties, as is now satisfacto- 

 rily demonstrated. 



"Happily lor us. this is our only venomous reptile ; 

 and, dreaded as it is, it is by no means so dangerous 

 as reported. It never commences an attack, and 

 turns to bite only when driven to self-defence or 

 suddenly molested ; nor is its bite necessarily fatal. 

 We have ourselves known persons bit by vipers — 

 one a relative ; he was punctured on the thumb : 

 the part swelled and inflamed, and the inflammation 

 (wi;h considerable pain and constitutional irritation) 

 ascended the absorbents to the axillary glands; with 

 a little care, however, in a few days, every bad symp- 

 tom v,as removed. We have, indeed, heard of cases 

 in which death has resulted from a viper's bite, but 

 we have never been able positively to authenticate 

 an instance, though we are willing to admit that, as 

 tlie effects are much more severe in some instances 

 than in others, persons of a highly excitable or feeble 

 temperament may have sunk under the action of 

 the poison, especially if the animal was in full vigour 

 and activity when it inflicted the wound. 



Small animals, as mice, rats, birds, &c., are im- 

 mediately aftected by the poison, and soon perish. 

 The viper often attempts to swallow prey too large 

 to pass down the oesophagus. Mr. Bell has in his 

 possession a small viper from Poole Heath, in Dor- 

 s-etshire, which was taken in a dying state, having 

 loiced down amouse, which had caused the skin of 

 the ueck to burst in several places. Mr. J. C. Cox 

 found a viper in the neighbourhood of Lausanne, 

 which had swallowed a common lizard nearly as 

 long as itself, and which had forced a hole through 

 the side of the viper, one of its fore-legs protruding. 

 (' Mag. Nat. Hist.,' 1838, p. 238.) 



The viper is ovoviviparous, the young being ex- 

 cluded from the egg previously to parturition. So 

 requisite is the heat of the sun for this develop- 

 ment of the young, that the female viper may be 

 often seen extended in the genial rays, basking with 

 flattened body, and unwilling to remove from the 

 spot on the approach of danger. The young vary 

 in number from ten to twenty, and are alert and 

 active from their birth. 



We have often heard it a.sserted, though we have 

 never been able to verify the statement, that the 

 young vipers when alarmed hastily retire within the 

 mouth of their parent, and lodge in the stomach or 

 oesophagus till the danser is passed. To this cir- 

 cumstance Mr. Bell, in his work on British reptiles, 

 makes no allusion. Mr. Blyth (See Loudon's ' Mag. 

 Xat. Hist.,' 1837, p. 441) observes respecting it, " I 

 have been informed of this by so many credible eye- 

 witnesses, that 1 cannot hesitate in yielding implicit 

 credence to the fact. One man particularly, on 

 whose word I fully rely, tells me that he has himself 

 seen as many as thirteen young vipers thus enter 

 the mouth of their parent, which he afterwards 

 killed, and opened for the purpose of counting them. 

 The following extract shows that the habit is com- 

 mon to other venomous serpents, all of which are, I 

 believe, without exception, ovoviviparous. It is 

 stated of the rattle-snake, in Hunter's ' Memoirs of a 

 Captivity among the North American Indians,' that 

 • when alarmed, the young ones, which are eight or 

 ten in number, retreat into the mouth of the parent, 

 and reappear on its giving a contractile muscular 

 token that the danger is passed.' " Gilbert White 

 says, " Several intelligent folks assure me that they 

 have seen the viper open her mouth to admit her 

 helpless young down the throat on sudden surprises, 

 just as a female opossum does her brood into the 

 pouch upon the like emergencies ; and yet the Lon- 

 don viper-catchers insist on it to Mr. Barrington 

 that no such thing ever happens." When evidence 

 is thus contradictory, it is difficult to know what to 

 believe. We have seen vipers oft. but we never 

 saw the occurrence in question, nor do we know any 

 naturalist who has himself seen it. Mr. Blyth, who 

 devoted much time to the out-door study of our 

 native animals, never witnessed it himself, though 

 he believes it upon report. It has been well ob- 

 served that much related concerning the habits of 

 reptiles seems to be as confused as it is inexact. 

 "Country-people, besides being inexact in their ac- 

 counts (although their occupations afford them good 

 and frequent opportunities for making observations), 

 are seldom to be depended upon : they are not nice 

 observers of that which does not immediately affect 

 their concerns ; and disgust, or fiar, or indifference 

 incapacitates them from taking accurate notice : and 

 these feelings induce contradiction, confusion, and 

 exaggeration. Viper-catchers may be better autho- 

 rities, as from use they overcome the not unnatural 

 repugnance to these animals ; but in their case, 

 accuracy depends entirely upon individual intelli- 

 gence, and, except the reporters be unexceptionable, 

 their statements ought to be cautiously received." 

 Vol. II, 



The viper hybernates, several entwining together 

 in a deep hole, or other secure lurking-place, and 

 passing tne winter in a state of torpidity. 



In many parts of England the viper is better 

 known by the name of adder, anciently, says Mr. 

 Bell, written nedre, and afterwards eddre ; it is from 

 the Anglo-Saxon noedre, nether, lower — a far-fetched 

 derivation, and we agree with Mr. J. Biadon that 

 there is one much nearer at hand, viz. neidr, the 

 ancient British and modern Welsh name for the 

 reptile in question. In the plural form it is much 

 more apparent, nadroedd, applied both to the viper 

 and common snake. 



We shall conclude our observations on the viper 

 by alluding to two singular superstitions connected 

 with this reptile — perhaps not yet altogether passed 

 away. From the earliest times the flesh of the viper 

 was celebrated (like that of the skink, a kind of 

 lizard) in the cure of various diseases, and is praised 

 by Pliny and Galen. The ancients generally served 

 the animal, boiled, like fish ; but in our country 

 viper-broth was the preparation in request. In Eng- 

 land these reptiles were caught by means of a stick 

 with a fork or cleft at one end, for pinning the ani- 

 mal down, just behind the head : the man then seized 

 the struggling reptile by the tail, and put it into a 

 bag : and in this way the shops of the apothecaries 

 were supplied. 



Many persons have heard of the ovum anguinum 

 of Pliny— the glein neidr of the ancient British — the 

 adder-gem or adder-stone. These celebrated charms 

 for curing various diseases are nothing more than 

 antique blue, green, or striped glass beads of various 

 sizes, and perforated. Pliny attributed their pro- 

 duction to snakes convoluted together in summer, 

 and notices the statement of the Druids with regard 

 to their mystic production ; and Mason, in his ' Ca- 

 ractacus,' gives this Druid's song : — 



" From tlie gr.it of charms and spells, 

 Where our matron sister dwells, 

 Brennns, has thy holy hand 

 Safely brought the Druid wand. 

 And tile potent Adder-stone, 

 Gender'd 'fore the autumnal raoon ? 

 When in undulating twine 

 The foaming snaltes prolific join, 

 ^Vhen they hiss, and when they bear 

 Their wondrous egg aloft in air ; 

 Thence, before to eartii it fall, 

 ITie Druid in bis hallowed pall 

 Keceives the priie. 

 And instant tlies 



Followed by the invenom'd brood. 

 Till he cross the crystal flood." 



Pennant says, "Our modern Druidesses give much 

 the same account of the ovum anguinum (Glein 

 Neidr, as the Welsh call it ; or the adder-gem) as the 

 Roman philosopher does ; but seem not to have so 

 exalted an opinion of its powers, using it only to 

 assist children in cutting their teeth, or to cure the 

 hooping-cough, or drive away an ague." Some of 

 these ancient beads are seen at Fig. 2279. 



A species of viper, called El EfFah (apparently 

 identical with the Hebrew word " Ephah," translated 

 viper), is described and figured in Jackson's ' Ma- 

 roceo,' as one of the most common and venomous 

 of serpents in North Africa and South-Western Asia. 

 " It is about two feet long and as thick as a man's 

 arm, beautifully spotted with yellow and brown, and 

 sprinkled over with blackish specks. They have a 

 wide mouth, by which they inhale a great quantity 

 of air, and when inflated they eject it with such 

 force, as to be heard to a considerable distance." 

 He adds, that they abound in the desert of Suse, 

 where their holes are extremely numerous. Capt. 

 Riley, in his ' Authentic Narrative ' (1817), describes 

 their colours as beautiful, and says that Jackson's 

 engraving is very correct. 



Our Fig. 2280, copied from .lackson, represents 

 this species, which is probably the Vipera ^gypti- 

 aca of Latreille. 



2281. — The Unadorned Viper 



( Vipera [Echidna] inornata, Smith). In the sub- 

 genus Echidna, the top of the head is wholly tsovered 

 with small imbricated scales. 



The present species is a native of South Africa ; 

 but little, according to Dr. Smith, is known of its 

 habits, excepting that, like the other species of the 

 genus, it is indolent and heedless of the approach of 

 man ; indeed, he adds, the vipers, and one or two 

 species of Eiaps, are the only snakes of South Africa 

 which permit themselves generally to be approached 

 without evincing any apparent concern ; the others 

 manifest a disposition to act on the defensive, or fly. 

 Even an unusual noise is sure to cause the retreat 

 of the innocuous ones. The najas are always ready 

 for fight, and when their haunts are invaded, acU 

 vance upon the intruder with the head 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," he continues, "once fell 

 to my own lot. Walking in the vicinity of Graham's 

 Town, I happened to excite the attention ofaNaja 

 Haemachates, which immediately raised its head, 



and warned me of my danger by the strength of its 

 expiration ; it then commenced an advance, and 

 had I not retired, I should in all probability have 

 suffered, provided I had not been fortunate enough 

 to disable it ; which probably would not have hap- 

 pened, considering that the species, in common with 

 others of the same genus, is extremely active. Even 

 though I retired, I was not satisfied that the danger 

 was past, as the flight of this snake's enemy does 

 not always put a stop to its advance when once com- 

 menced. An officer of the Cape Corps, upon whose 

 authority the most implicit reliance was to be placed, 

 informed me that he once was chased twice round 

 his waggon by an individual of the same species, 

 and the pursuit might have been prolonged had not 

 a Hottentot disabled the enraged reptile by a blow 

 from a long stick." 



The unadorned vijier is about thirteen inches in 

 length : its general colour above is yellowish brown ; 

 under parts dusky yellow sparingly sprinkled with 

 brownish dots. 



2282. — The South African Cerastes 



(Cerastes caudalis, Smith). The genus Cerastes is 

 distinguished among the vipers, by a little pointed 

 horn rising from the upper margin of each eye. 



One species is a native of Egypt, Libya, &c., but 

 the present was discovered in South Africa by 

 Dr. A. Smith. In these snakes, the head is broad 

 and very distinct from the neck, the body thick, the 

 tail taper. Fig. 2283 represents the Head and Tail 

 of Cerastes caudalis. 



This species inhabits dry sandy districts, and mani- 

 fests the ordinary indolence of character common 

 to the vipers ; on which account, says Dr. Smith, 

 " they are more dreaded by the native of South 

 Africa than even snakes possessed of more virulent 

 poison, but disposed to action on the approach of 

 clanger. According to good testimony, this species 

 will continue for days together in one position, and 

 as it never seeks to avoid danger, however imminent, 

 its presence is rarely discovered unless when 

 trampled upon, and the offending party is wounded 

 by its fangs. Though inactive, it is by no means 

 so when injured ; its movements are then performed 

 with activity ; and when once it seizes the obnoxious 

 object, it retains its hold with great determination, 

 and some considerable exertion is often required to 

 detach it. The same may be said of most of the 

 vipers, in which respect they differ materially 

 from naia." This species is about fourteen inches 

 long. 



The upper parts are yellowish red, variously spotted 

 and marked with orange brown and other tints. 

 The under parts are pale rose red, with a pearly 

 lustre. 



2284, 2285.— The Egyptian Cerastes 



(Cerastes; — Vipera cerastes). This species, as well 

 as the Cobra or Haj6, was well known to the 

 Egyptians of antiquity, and figures of it occur 

 abundantly in their temples: it is this species be- 

 yond doubt of which Herodotus speaks in the fol- 

 lowing passage:— " There are about Thebes sacred 

 serpents entirely innoxious to man ; they are of 

 diminutive size, and have two horns sprouting from 

 the crown of the head ; when they die, they are 

 buried in the temple of Jupiter, to whom they are 

 said to be sacred." Herodotus was in error in say- 

 ing that these snakes are innoxious ; he had perhaps 

 only examined fame ones, from which the poison 

 fangs had been carefully extracted. 



In its manners this species precisely resembles 

 the preceding : it inhabits the sandy desert, where 

 in ruts or depressions it will lie quietly for days, 

 luxuriating in the heat of the sun ; and as its colours 

 assimilate with those of the surface on which it re- 

 poses, there is danger of treading accidentally upon 

 it, at the risk of a wound. 



It appears to have considerable powers of en- 

 during hunger and thirst ; probably it never drinks : 

 its food consists of insects, small reptiles, mice, &c. 



Bruce states that he kept two of these snakes in 

 a glass jar for two years, without giving them any 

 food ; they did not appear to become torpid in 

 winter, and cast their slough at the close of April. 



Speaking of the partiality of these animals for 

 heat, he says that though the sun was burning-hot 

 all day, yet " when we made a fire at night by dig- 

 ging a hole and burning wood to charcoal in it for 

 dressing our victuals, it was seldom that we had 

 fewer than half a dozen of these vipers, which burned 

 themselves to death by approaching the embers." 

 " The poison," he adds, " is very copious for so small 

 a creature ; it is fully as large as a drop of lauda- 

 num dropped from a phial by a careful hand. I 

 compelled one to scratch eighteen pigeons upon 

 the thigh, and all died in nearly the same interval 

 of time. 



" The cerastes moves with great rapidity and in 

 all directions, forwards, backwards, and sideways. 

 When it inclines to surprise any one who is too far 

 from it, it creeps with its side toward the person 



Q 2 



