106 



CLASS RE PTI LI A. 



ORDER BAT EACH I A. 



ground colour of the back and upper parts is sometimes dirty yellow, at 

 other times olive or pale ashy brown; and Bell observes, that after the .-kin 

 has been recently cast, the surface is sometimes iridescent. The varieties 

 are the Red Viper, Black Viper, and Plumber Viper. 



The Viper is found pretty generally throughout Europe, and is common 

 in many parts of England, frequenting chalk-pits, dry sandv wastes, and 

 thickets. It is said to be most numerous in the Western Isles, but in Ireland 

 is unknown. The Black variety is most rare, and is noted as having been 

 found only in Suffolk. During their hybernation, Vipers congregate together 

 in some retired spot, and are found tied up as it were in a knotted coil. 

 They feed on mice, frogs, and insects. The bite of this animal is much 

 dreaded, and produces in the human subject generally more frightful than 

 serious symptoms, though one instance is known in which a young man of 

 18 years of age died in St. Bartholomew's Hospital from this cause. The 

 severity of the symptoms varies according to the time of year, upon which 

 the virulence of the poison, or perhaps indeed its secretion, depends. The 

 bite is of little consequence if perpetrated when the animal has been roused 

 from its torpid state in winter. But, on the contrary, in the height of 

 summer, when the Viper is in its greatest state of activity, the poison is 

 correspondently strong. 



CERASTES. The species figured on Plate 6 measures about two feet in 

 length, of which the tail is five inches ; the head obtuse, short, flattened, and 

 widening behind the eyes ; neck narrow ; body spindle-shaped ; above each 

 eye is a little horn, slightly curved and vertical, about two lines in length, 

 marked with four longitudinal grooves, and covered with a thin horny skin ; 

 lips edged with numerous small plates ; scales on the head and trunk oval 

 and carinated, those near the horns smaller than the others ; abdominal scuta 

 one hundred and fifty, caudal twenty-five pairs ; irides yellowish-green ; 

 upper surface yellowish-grey, marked with irregular deep transverse spots . 

 under parts yellowish-white. This species lives in holes in the sand in Egypt, 

 in Syria, and Arabia, and throughout the East. It is very voracious, and 

 often feeds till it becomes double its usual size, Bruce says the Jerboa often 

 becomes its prey. 



NAJA Hooded Snake. These animals possess a remarkable power of 

 expanding the neck into a kind of hood when irritated. This is effected by 

 inflation of the lungs ; and Dr. Russell says, that although the neck is thus 

 remarkably spread out, the expansion is not merely confined to that part, 

 but that it extends throughout the body, so that all the scales from the head 

 to the tail are separated from each other, and the skin is seen between them. 

 When disturbed they spring upright, raising themselves almost on the very 

 extremity of the tail. They are highly venomous, and cause death very 

 speedily after the infliction of their bite. The motions of these animals are 

 performed by two or three undulations of the posterior third of the body, 

 whilst the two anterior thirds are held erect, giving to the animal a very 

 majestic appearance. At present there are but two distinct species known ; 

 one of them, however, includes several varieties. 



The Yellowish or Spectacle Hooded Snake (C. Lutescens) measures four feet 

 in length including the tail, which is about nine inches long ; and the circum- 

 ference of the body is about four inches ; the membrane of the hood, when 

 expanded, is about three inches wide, and upon it the scales are placed in 

 longitudinal rows, slightly separated from each other. The general colour 

 is yellowish or light brown, but in particular postures the scales assume a 

 bluish-ashy tinge, and those of the belly are white with a reddish tinge : the 

 colour of the skin beneath is white or pale orange. The most remarkable 

 character, however, of this species is the spectacle-like mark on the back of 

 the hood, consisting of two parallel black streaks, separated by an inter- 

 mediate white badge, marking out the rings of a pair of spectacles, slightly 

 separated from each other, black in the centres, and connected by a double 

 arc, the convexity of which faces backwards, and in each leg of the arc is a 

 small black spot. The form of the spectacles varies, and sometimes does 

 not exist at all. When the animal is at rest, and the hood not expanded, 

 these marks are not very striking ; but when enraged, and the hood inflated, 

 the scales become separated, and the spectacle figure, which is partly pro- 

 duced by the colour of the skin, becomes more distinct. 



TRIMERESURUS. This i;enus is nearly allied to the Vipers: there are 

 but two species, that figured on Plate 6 being the more important one : 



T. Microcephalus, from five to eight inches in length, of which the tail is 

 one-eighth ; scales smooth, excepting four or five longitudinal rows on the 

 back, which have crests; tail very slender; colour uniform and dusky. 

 A native of New Holland. 



PKLAMIS. The Pelamides have a near resemblance in their general form 

 ami habits to the Munenas, but possess neither gills nor fins, and their 

 motions in the water are effected solely by the undulating movements of 

 their tail, the flattened oar-like form of which is well adapted for sculling 

 them along. They teed on Mollusca, and perhaps also on small fishes. 

 The species are not numerous. 



The Bicoloured Sea Serpent (Plate 6) is about two feet four inches in 

 length ; the head and body are black, with a longitudinal streak of sulphurous- 

 yellow passing from the cheeks along either side to within two inches of 

 the vent ; under part of the head and belly greyish-green, and marked on 

 the posterior half with little, rounded, black spots, whilst the whole tail is 

 irregularly badged with black, white, and yellow. This animal is seen but 

 rarely at Vizagapatam, where the fishermen wrongly consider it as venomous, 

 as it has no poison-fangs. 



PSEUDOBOA. The illustrated species (P. Fasciata) is about five feet anil 

 five inches in length ; head small, scarcely broader than the neck, flat and 

 obtuse; in the upper jaw on each side a short fang ; in colour dark blue, 

 streaked obliquely on each side with yellow to the throat, which is also 

 yellow ; neck, trunk, and tail surrounded with numerous broad bands alter- 

 nately blue and yellow ; tip of the tail round, blunt, and blue. A native of 

 India. It is a very dangerous Snake, and its bite said to be inevitably mortal. 



CCECILIA. This genus of animals was first distinguished and described 

 by Linnseus, and since his time has engaged the attention of other naturalists. 

 The skin seems to consist of an epidermis which is very porous, and from 

 which a quantity of viscid mucus is constantly flowing, and this becoming 

 dry gives the appearance of detached old scales. The two species best 

 known are natives of Guiana ; they are the C. Glutinosa (Plate 6), and the 

 C. Tentacvlata ; but very little is known of their habits. 



HYDROPHIS (Gr. ii2wp, water, and '6<f>it;, a serpent). This group of ani- 

 mals are remarkable for their flat tail, which serves the purpose of an oar in 

 sculling them through the water. Their poisonous fangs are very distinct. 



TRIGONOCEPHALUS (Gr. rpiyuvov, a triangle, and Kt<t>a\rj, a head). This 

 genus was included by Linnajus and others among his Colubri, but by Daudin, 

 Latreille, and Dumeril among the 1 iperce, but it has been formed into a 

 distinct genus by Oppel. In most diameters it agrees with the I!ttl<- 

 Snakes (Crotali), except in not having the tail furnished with a rattle ; in 

 its general habits and its poisonous properties it closely resembles them. 

 Merrem prefers the generic title Cophias to this genus ; and Prince 

 Maximilian observes that the head is not triangular in all the species. 



ORDER V. BATRACHIA. FROGS. 



THE Batrachians differ from the Tortoises, Lizards, and Serpents, in several 

 important particulars ; they either have no ribs, or but the rudiments of 

 them; they are destitute of scales and carapace; and they are furnished 

 with feet. These animals have two lungs ; and the young have gills like 

 fishes, which they lose on coming to maturity. 



Family TAILLESS ; Ecavdata. 

 ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES. 



PLATE 7. 

 Genera. Species. Common Name. 



Rana ----- Esculenta - - - - Edible Frog. 



Ceratophria ... Varius ----- Honied Frog. 



Hyla ----- Vulgaria - ... Tree Frog. 



-, , iVulk'aris - ... Common Toad. 



' IBombina - - - - Yellow-bellied Toad. 



Pipa ----- Sorinarnensis - - Surinam Pipa. 



