456 TEN YEAES IN SWEDEN. 



quently in the south of Sweden, and in the middle as far 

 up as Upsala ; not rare near Christiania in Norway. 



The habits of this snake are different from those of the 

 common snake, and they are never found in moist situations, 

 always on high, dry, stony tracts, covered with bushes and 

 heath. Specimens have been taken even on the top of the 

 Dovre Fell. They can climb well. One kept in confinement 

 here for five months eat nothing but a single snail, and 

 would not look at a frog ; it drank a great deal of water. 

 They are easily tamed, and Nilsson mentions some interest- 

 ing facts in the economy of the before-mentioned snake. 

 It soon became tame, and never after was heard to hiss ; 

 on the ground it could not go along so easily as the common 

 snake, but was very fond of creeping up book- cases, furni- 

 ture, and the like. It was more lively than the common 

 snake, but not so pliant, although much more so than the 

 slow worm. Its manners in confinement lead one to guess 

 that it was much used to live in trees ; and Bechsten even 

 mentions having found the castings of a skin of one of these 

 snakes hanging in a small fir tree. 



It is now clearly proved, according to Schlegel's account, 

 that this snake brings forth living young, thus showing a 

 sort of affinity to the slow worm. About the end of August 

 is the usual breeding season here. 



2. SERPENTES VENENOSI. Venomous Snakes. 

 One row of small solid teeth in the palatine bone 

 on each side, but no teeth in the upper maxillary bones, 

 except the two isolated poison fangs; head covered with 

 small plates and scales ; tail not more than one-eighth or 

 one-ninth of the whole length of the body. 



Gen. Vipera, Daud. 



Head covered with plates (of which one large one is in 

 the middle, with several smaller ones symmetrically arranged 

 around it) or even with scales alone ; eye with a vertically 

 oblong pupil ; tail short. 



