THE COMMON SNAKE. 



Description. 



serpents have only two rows of true or proper 

 teeth (that is, such as are not fangs) in the upper 

 jaw, whilst all others have four. 



The Psylli of old were famous for charming 

 and destroying serpents ; and Cassauban says, 

 that he knew a man who could at any time 

 summon an hundred serpents together, and draw 

 them into the fire; and that on a particular time, 

 when a large one refused to obey, he only re- 

 peated his charm, and it came forward like the 

 rest to submit to the flames. 



A description of the most remarkable of both 

 tribes, (the innoxious and poisonous,) together 

 with occasional anecdotes and quotations from 

 the best authors, illustrated with some engra- 

 vings, shall form the present chapter. 



The ringed, or black snake, which, as it is 

 the most common, shall be the first considered, 

 is the largest of English serpents, sometimes ex- 

 ceeding four feet in length. The neck is slen- 

 der ; the middle of the body thick ; the back anfl 

 sides covered with small scales; the belly with 

 oblong, narrow, transverse plates ; the color of 

 the back and sides is of a dusky brown ; the 

 middle of the back marked with two rows of 

 small black spots, running from the head to the 

 5tail ; the plates on the belly are dusky; the scales 

 on the sides are of a bluish white ; the teeth are 

 small and serrated, lying on each side of the jaw, 

 in two rows. The whole species is perfectly in- 

 offensive, taking shelter HI dunghills, aad amon.g 



