218 SNAKES. 



small and uniform. The head is long, and markedly distinct from the neck ; and the 

 eye rather small, with a horizontal pupil. The scales investing the elongated and 

 compressed body are smooth and without pits, and arranged in fifteen oblique rows, 

 those down the middle of the back being slightly enlarged. The shields on the 

 under surface of the body are rounded, and those beneath the tail form two 

 rows. Deriving their name of whip-snakes from the extreme elongation and 

 slenderness of the body and tail these serpents move awkwardly enough on a flat 

 surface, although when coiling and climbing among the branches of trees their rapid 

 movements are graceful in the extreme. While retaining their hold by means of a 

 few coils of the tail thrown round a branch, the length of their body enables them 

 with ease to reach another at a considerable distance, or to dart forth their head in 

 order to seize any hapless bird or lizard that may be within striking distance. 

 Sharp-Nosed Nearly allied to the preceding are the sharp -nosed snakes 



Snakes. (Oxybelis), of which seven species inhabit Central and South America, 

 while the eighth is found in Central and Western Africa. These have small 

 heads, with the snout narrow and elongated, and the rostral shield projecting 

 considerably beyond the lower jaw. The neck is thin and slender, the body 

 greatly elongated and laterally compressed, and the long and thin tail tapering to 

 a fine point. The upper jaw carries seventeen solid teeth of nearly equal size, and 

 four large fangs. In appearance and habits these snakes closely resemble the 

 whip-snakes. 



Oriental Fresh- Brief reference must be made here to a group of nine genera of 



water Snakes, aquatic snakes from India, Burma, China, New Guinea, North Australia, 

 and the adjacent countries, which constitute a second subfamily (Homalopsince) in 

 the hind-fanged series. From the preceding subfamily they may be readily dis- 

 tinguished by the position of the nostrils on the upper surface of the muzzle ; while 

 they are further differentiated by their thoroughly aquatic habits. It will be 

 unnecessary to particularise the various genera ; but it may be mentioned that the 

 typical genus, Homalopsis, belongs to a group in which the two nasal shields of the 

 head are in contact ; and that in a second group, as represented by Cantoria, they 

 are separated by an internasal shield. Most of these snakes are of small size, few of 

 them exceeding a yard in length, while many are considerably smaller. Although 

 mainly fresh- water snakes, seldom coming to shore, a few members of the group 

 enter the sea. Many of them are furnished with prehensile tails, by means of 

 which they attach themselves to convenient objects; and the majority feed 

 exclusively on fish, though a few prefer crustaceans. Their young are produced 

 alive in the water. 



The beautiful but venomous coral-snake (Elaps corallinus) is the 

 best known representative of a genus which brings us to the third 

 and last series of the great family under consideration. All the members of this 

 front-fanged series (Proteroglypha) are characterised by having the front teeth of 

 the hinder upper jawbone, or maxilla, grooved, and the posterior ones simple and 

 solid. These snakes are all poisonous ; and they are divided into two subfamilies, 

 according to their habits and the conformation of the tail. In the first, or Elapine 

 subfamily (Elapince) the tail is cylindrical; the snakes themselves being either 

 terrestrial or arboreal in their mode of life. These Elapine snakes are distributed 



