o/O iiYDR'.ii'nip.r. : r.i. \rn>.r : HOODED SNAKKS. 



Serpents which inhabit tin- tropical regions of both Hemispheres. 

 Unlike the true lioas and Pythons, which find a home amongst 

 the branches of the trees, these Snakes, which are of compara- 

 tively small size, dwell upon the ground, where they feed upon 

 insects and other small animals. The}" are described as being 

 slow in their movements. 



o()S. We come now to the Colnbrine Snakes with fangs 

 amonirst the ordinary teeth in the maxillary bones, of which a 

 good many are known to be venomous; whilst the remainder, 

 although some of them are reputed venomous in the countries 

 where they occur, are probably of a harmless nature. In these 

 suspected Snakes, the fangs are placed at the bad; of the jaw. 

 behind the common teeth. Of these we need only refer to the 

 IIoMAi.oi'6iD-K, of which numerous species reside in India and 

 the islands of the Eastern Archipelago, where they live in the 

 ponds and rivers, and sometimes attain a considerable size. 



.j()9. These fresh-water Snakes lead us naturally to the )tia- 

 rinc IlYDROi'iiiD.i:, which are characterized by the compressed 

 form of their short tails, which enables them to move through 

 the water with facility. In their general aspect and movements 

 they strongly resemble Eels; they appear very rarely to quit 

 the Ocean, and indeed they are said to be incapable of living for 

 any time out of salt water. They are exceedingly venomous, 

 and are objects of irreat. dread to the fishermen, in whose nets 

 they often occur. These Serpents, of which more than fifty 

 ,speeic< are known, are peculiar to the Eastern Seas ; in most 

 parts of which they occur, from the coasts of India to those of 

 Australia and Xe\v Zealand. 



31O. The onlv other family of venomous Snakes belonging 

 to this section is that of the ELAIMIM:, or IIoo<ll ,S'//f//.T,s - , in 

 which the tail is round and tapering, and the poison-fangs, as in 

 the Ilydrophid:e, placed to\vards the front of the mouth, with 

 the ordinarv teeth behind them. They are also distinguished by 

 having the, .-kin of the neck very loose, and the ribs of that part 

 so arranged that they can stretch the loose skin into a sort of 

 di-c. which from its resemblances to a hood has obtained these 

 Snakes their English name. This is always done by the animal 



