REPTILES. 373 



and other insects. But little is known of their habits, and, indeed, speci- 

 mens but rarely make their way to museums. Typhlops is the principal 

 genus. 



The next grand division of snakes includes all of the non-venomous 

 forms, as well as a few which are provided with poison-organs. The great 

 majority of them are perfectly harmless, and those occurring in the United 

 States are mostly to be regarded as the friends of man, on account of the 

 immense numbers of vermin they destroy. Some of them feed on insects 

 and worms, while others exhibit a great fondness for rats and mice, as 

 well as the gophers which burrow in the fields of the West. It is true 

 that they occasionally visit the hen-yard and steal the eggs and young 

 chickens or rob the nests of birds, but their damage in this line is incon- 

 siderable. But valuable as these snakes are, no one thinks of encouraging 

 them ; on the other hand, all fulfil the old prophecy of Genesis and ' bruise 

 its head.' 



The first forms we have to mention are, however, not so harmless, for 

 they embrace the largest of snakes, — the pythons, boas, and anacondas of 

 the tropics. The pythons all belong to the Old World, and have been cele- 

 brated from time immemorial for their size. If we are to believe the 

 ancient accounts, the pythons of to-day are sadly degenerated in size, for 

 now no such monsters are found as were formerly described. It is just 

 possible that, as in many travelers' tales, a slight amount of exaggeration 

 was introduced into the old accounts. For instance, in Holland's edition 

 of Pliny's Natural History (1601) we read: — 



" Well knowne is it, that Attilus Regulus, Generall under the Romanes, 

 during the warres against the Carthagenians assailed a serpent neere the 

 river Bagradu, which carried in length 120 foot : and before he could con- 

 quer him, was driven to discharge upon him arrowes, stones, bullets and 

 such like shot, out of brakes, slings, and other articles of Artillerie, as if 

 he had given the assault to some strong towne of warre. And the proof e 

 of this was to be seene by the markes remaining in his skin and chawes, 

 which, untill the warre of Numantia remained in a temple or conspicuous 

 place of Rome. And this is the more credible, for that wee see in Italic 

 other serpents named Bose, so big and huge, that in the daies of the 

 Emperour Claudius there was one of them killed hi the Vaticane, within 

 the bellie whereof there was found an infant all whole. This serpent 

 liveth at the first of kine's milke, and thereupon taketh the name of Bose." 



In later years the size has diminished, even in travelers' tales; for now 

 the greatest exaggeration does not admit of pythons over forty feet in 

 length, while a rigid application of a foot-rule rarely shows a specimen to 



