COLLARED SNAKE. 553 



little snake is a native of India, and is described 

 and figured in Dr. Russel's work on the Indian Ser- 

 pents : its bite is said to be painful ; but, from the 

 experiment of Dr. Russel on the subject he exa- 

 mined, it appeared not to be poisonous to a chicken 

 whose breast it was provoked to bite, and to which 

 it adhered firmly for nearly a minute : the mouth, 

 however, when closely examined, appears to be 

 furnished with fangs. 



COLLARED SNAKE. 



Coluber Torquatus. C. supra niger, subtus ruber, cottari albo. 

 Small Snake, black above, red beneath, with a white collar 



round the neck. 



Little black and red Snake. Edw. p. 349. 

 Another small Snake ? Edw. Glean. 3. p. 291. 



A SMALL species, less than an earthworm : head 

 and upper parts of a polished jet-black colour: 

 abdomen bright red : round the neck a white col- 

 lar: head rather large, and covered with large 

 scales : eyes flame-coloured : native of Pensyl- 

 vania, where it inhabits the crevices of rocks, old 

 walls, &c. feeding on insects, and seldom appear- 

 ing abroad. 



v. in. p. ii. 36' 



