REPTILES. 365 



REPTILIA. 



This class of vertebrates is divided into nine orders, of which 

 four are represented by living forms and the others are extinct. 



The four existing orders are crocodiles, lizards, snakes, and 

 tortoises. 



LIZARDS (Lacertilia) . 



These are everywhere abundant. I have fed off some, and 

 have a few preserved in spirits, but none of sufficient interest to 

 record. 



SNAKES (Ophidia). 



On July 7, 1883,' I found at the hotel at Paraopeba Station a 

 book on medicine,* which appears to be a valuable work. From it 

 I extracted a few notes on carrapatos, and, finding a list of the 

 snakes of Brazil, I ascertained from the landlord the names of 

 those which occur in that district. As far as I could find out from 

 the local names they are as follows : Cobra cascavel (a rattle- 

 snake), boiquira, or boicininga ; the latter an Indian name as 

 usual, highly scientific boi, or boya = a serpent, cining = a bell ; 

 it is the Crotalus horridus, Darwin. Giboia, boa constrictor, plen 

 tiful in the forests near Pitanguy. Surucucii, Lachesis rhombeata, 

 Surucucu bico de jacca, Lachesis muta. Jararaca, Cophias jararaca. 

 Cobra coral, Elaps maregravii. 



I have elsewhere referred to the cobra coral, and a snake 

 called jararacussu", which I occasionally found, as also the jara- 

 raca, but was fortunate enough to avoid the rattlesnake, although 

 some of our staff came across it. On the 2oth of December, 1883, 

 I saw a long very thin snake ; its colour was greenish blue on the 

 upper side, with a bright yellow under side. The snake had just 

 seized a large frog, and I wondered how he would dispose of him. 

 I was attracted by hearing the frog's terrified croak, and, dismount- 

 ing from my horse, drew near to watch the proceedings. The 

 snake fixed his cold glassy eye on me, as I approached within a 



* "Diccionario de medicina popular." Pedro Luiz Napoleao Chernoviz. 

 Paris, 1878. 



