THE LIZARD AND ITS ALLIES 



277 



more. Xot being poisonous their bite is not dangerous, 

 but they attack large birds and even medium-sized mam- 

 mals arid crush them to death in the folds of their body. 



The family Elapidae l includes the large venomous ser- 

 pents of the East, the cobra of the East Indies, and the asp 

 of the Egyptians. The bite of these serpents is quickly 



FIG. 2HO. Elapx corallina, a harlequin snake of South America allied to the 

 bead-snake of the South. From " Standard Natural History," after Brehm. 



fatal to man. To this family belongs also the bead-snake 

 of our Southern States, which is however harmless (Fig. 

 260). 



The Crotalidae 2 include the rattlesnakes, characteristic of 

 America. 3 Of this family the most dangerous is the water- 



1 \a\f/. an unknown snake of the ancients. 



2 , clapper. 3 Figs. 261, 262. 



