CONCERNING SNAKES. 187 



"Why not?" 



"His name will be the death of him. What others are there?" 



" There is the acrochordus javanicus" 



"What sort of <cus' is that?" 



" I never saw one, and indeed but a single person that had looked upon one. 

 The serpent belongs in Java and is about eight feet long. Its face resembles that 

 of a thorough-bred bull dog, and it is believed to live on fruit, though very little 

 is known about it. However," added Mr. Godkin, with a sigh, "we haven't half 

 exhausted the subject, for there are the other families, including the pythons, boav 

 rock-snakes, blunt-head snakes, whip snakes, tree snakes, desert snakes, dwarr 

 snakes, flesh-eating snakes (found in Penang, Singapore, Gamboja, Sumatra, Java, 

 Celebes and Borneo), short tails, blind snakes, double-enders and scores of others. 

 But we have had enough." 



"A little too much," said Jack Harvey; "what is the fancy name for a grizzly 

 bear?" 



"Ursus horribilis." 



"That ain't right," said the Texan, decisively. 



" What is it, then ? " 



"Old Ephraim." 



