POISON SERPENTS. 445 



I may repeat here, what Prince de Neuwied says of the coral 

 snake that it can be taken and handled without any danger; 

 children very often playing with this viper, encircling it round the 

 neck. I have myself, more than once, carried about corals, not 

 suspecting they were venomous. The apparent innoccuity of the 

 coral arises from the peculiar conformation of its head and mouth ; 

 the head is of the same growth with the body, and not separated 

 by a distinct neck ; nor can it, on account of its anatomical organ- 

 isation, open its jaws sufficiently to seize and bite any bulky body. 

 It is nevertheless highly poisonous. The clibo and rigoise are 

 very common ; of the former, there are three species or varieties 

 the black or speckled, the yellow-bellied, and the yellow-tailed ; 

 the first is of a glossy lead colour, and the under parts of a light 

 yellow, with dark stripes ; the second, of a deep lead colour above, 

 and a fine yellow beneath ; the body of the third is also of a lead 

 colour, and the belly, together with the tail, of an orange tinge ; 

 they generally attain the same dimensions, though the last may 

 be found of a somewhat larger size. 



The rigoise, or whip-snake, would appear to pertain to the 

 tribe of poison serpents, but its bite would not be deadly ; it is 

 called rigoise, or horse-whip, not only on account of its long 

 slender form, but also from the current belief among the negroes, 

 that it uses its tail as an instrument for flogging its antagonist. 



Besides the above-mentioned, and well known serpents, there 

 are several others which we have not been able to classify, from 

 the many difficulties which attend the study among others, the 

 mangrove-cascabel or dormilon ; it has the greatest resemblance 

 with the true cascabel, but, on all accounts is not poisonous ; it is 

 very common all along the lower Caroni, and may often be seen 

 sluggishly extended on some branch that stretches over the river. 

 A small serpent, from twelve to sixteen inches in length, is met 

 with occasionally in courtyards, and among rubbish, also in pas- 

 ture-grounds ; it is called the ground-snake, and is probably a 

 coecilia ; another smaller one, provided with a sting at the end of 

 the tail, may possibly be the Stenostoma Allifrons of Dumeril. 

 The Qiidima is reported as being a deadly viper ; I have never 

 seen it, and only mention it on hearsay. 



Besides the toad here mentioned, there are several other 

 species, differing not only in size, but in general configuration. 

 Of real frogs I know but one, the paradoxal or fish-frog, so 



