426 WATER VIPER. 



much unlike the Rattle-Snake, and the bite said 

 to be as mortal. This Snake frequents the water, 

 and is never seen at any great distance from it: 

 the back and head are brown ; the belly trans- 

 versly marked with black and yellow alternately, 

 as are the sides of the neck : the neck is small, the 

 head large, and armed with the like destructive 

 weapons as the Rattle-Snake : it is very nimble, 

 and particularly dextrous in catching fish. In 

 summer great numbers are seen lying on the 

 branches of trees hanging over rivers, from which 

 at the approach of a boat they drop down into the 

 water, and often into the boat, on the men's heads : 

 they lie in this manner to surprise either birds or 

 fish, after which last they plunge, and pursue 

 them with great swiftness, and catch some of a 

 large size, which they carry on shore and swallow 

 whole. One of these I surprised swimming ashore 

 with a large cat-fish in its mouth. The tail is small 

 towards the end, and terminates in a blunt horny 

 point about half an inch in length, and which, 

 though harmless, is considered as of dreadful effi- 

 cacy by the credulous vulgar, who believe that 

 the animal is able, with this weapon, not only to 

 kill men and other animals, but even to destroy a 

 tree by wounding it with it; the tree withering, 

 turning black, and dying." 



