214 SNAKES. 



wood-snake (Herpetodryas carinatus), which we select as a well-known example of 

 the genus. Frequently attaining a length of about 7 feet, and remarkably beautiful 

 in coloration, this snake generally has the upper-parts of a bright verditer or olive- 

 green, shot with a tinge of brown on the back, while the under-parts are greenish 

 or bright yellow ; the greenish hue prevailing in the middle of the body, and the 

 yellow elsewhere. Throughout there is a shimmering play of colours of all shades 

 of green passing into metallic brown; while the middle line of the back has a 

 brighter longitudinal streak, frequently bordered on each side by a darker band, 

 In the West Indies this species undergoes a remarkable change of hue, becoming 

 blackish brown or black above, with the under-parts steel-grey ; the upper lip and 

 edges of the jaws alone preserving the original yellowish green. The scales are 

 arranged in twelve rows, and are mostly smooth, although the two middle rows on 

 the back are keeled ; the eye being of very large size. Next to the coral-snake, 

 the sipo is the most abundant of Brazilian ophidians, and may be met with both 

 on sandy jungle-clad ground close to the shore at Rio de Janeiro and Cape Frio, 

 where specimens of upwards of 10 feet in length have been observed. In addition 

 to sandy localities it also frequents swampy spots near the sea. In its movements 

 it is so rapid that, when startled, it seems to disappear like a flash of lightning. 

 It feeds largely upon frogs, as well as upon lizards and young birds, and lays 

 only five eggs, which are remarkable for their cylindrical and slender form. 



In the Old World and Australia the wood-snakes are replaced by 

 the solid-toothed tree-snakes, forming the genera Dendrophis and 

 Dendrelaphis ; both of which are distinguished from all the preceding types by 

 having the hinder border of each of the shields on the lower surface of the body 

 with a notch on each side, corresponding to a suture-like lateral keel ; the scales of 

 the body being arranged in from thirteen to fifteen rows. While in the first-named 

 of the two genera all the teeth in the hinder upper jawbone are approximately 

 equal in length, and the row of scales in the middle line of the back larger than the 

 others, in the second genus the foremost teeth in the hinder upper jawbone are 

 enlarged, but the middle row of scales on the back are similar to the rest. All 

 these snakes have large eyes, and elongated and often compressed bodies, and 

 their general coloration is some shade of green or olive, often with a bronzy tinge ; 

 their habits being mostly arboreal Of Dendrophis nine species are known, 

 ranging from India to Australia ; while Dendrelaphis is represented by five species 

 ranging from India and the Malayan region to the Philippines. 



Egg-Eating The last representative of the solid-toothed series of the Colubrines 



Snake. that we have space to mention is the curious little egg-eating snake 

 (Dasypeltis scabra), of South Africa, which represents a subfamily (Dasypeltince) 

 by itself. The essential character of the subfamily is the rudimental condition of 

 the dentition, the front of both the lower jaw and upper jaws being devoid of teeth. 

 To compensate for this lack of ordinary teeth, the egg-eating snake is, however, 

 provided with a series of about thirty of what may be termed throat-teeth ; these 

 being the lower spines of the vertebrae, which project into the oesophagus, and are 

 tipped with enamel. The scales are strongly keeled. This little snake is about a 

 couple of feet in length, and has a body not much thicker than a man's finger. 

 Although it lives in trees, and feeds on the eggs of small birds, it will when pressed 



