The Uropeltis Philippmus. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 



SNAKES. 



First Impression of a Tropical Porest — Exaggerated Fears — Comparative rareness 

 of Venomous Snakes — Their Habits and External Characters — Anecdote of 

 the Prince of Neu Wied — The Bite of the Trigonocephalus — Antidotes - 

 Fangs of the Venomous Snakes described — The Bush-Master — The Echidna 

 Ocellata — The Rattlesnakes — Extirpated by Hogs — The Cobra de Capello — 

 Indian Snake-Charmers — Maritime Excursions of the Cobra — The Egj^ptian 

 Haje — The Cerastes — Boas and Pythons — The Jiboya — The Anaconda — 

 Enemies of the Serpents — The Secretary — The Adjutant — The Mimgoos — A 

 Serpent swallowed by another — The liocomotion of Serpents — Anatomy of their 

 Jaws — A Python-Meal — Serpents feeding in the Zoological Gardens — Domesti- 

 cation of the Rat-Snake — Water-Snakes. 



ON penetrating for the first time into a tropical forest, the 

 traveller is moved by many conflicting emotions. This 

 luxuriance of vegetation revelling in ever-changing forms, these 

 giants of the vi^ood clasped by the python-folds of enormous 

 creepers, and bearing whole hosts of parasites on their knottyj 

 arms ; this abundance of blossoms, equally captivating to th 

 eye and delicious to the smell, all unite in raising the so 

 to the fullest enjoyment of the moment ; and yet the heart is, 

 at the same time, chilled with vague fears, that mix like a dis 





