COLUBER. 



COLUBER, in natural history, a genus 

 of serpents., distinguished by having plates 

 on the body, and scales on the under 

 parts of the tail. The species of this ge- 

 nus are numerous. Linnxus describes, 

 upon the testimony of various writers, 

 above ninety; and that number even has 

 been considerably augmented by natura- 

 lists since his time. The species differ 

 greatly in size and habit ; some, as the 

 vipers, having the head large, flattish, and 

 semi-cordated, with the body and tail of 

 a moderate length, or rather short ; while 

 others, as the greater part of the harmless 

 serpents, have small heads, with the bo- 

 dy and tail much longer in proportion. In 

 some, exclusive of the usual scales under 

 the tail, are a few scuta or undivided la- 

 mellse, either at the beginning or to- 

 wards the tip of the tail. 



Linnaeus considered the number of ab- 

 dominal plates and scales under the tail 

 as a characteristic distinction of the differ- 

 ent species of this genus; such, how- 

 ever, is the inconsistency of this criterion, 

 that, in describing the same species, 

 scarcely two writers agree. Characters 

 taken from the number of those plates 

 and scales in the serpent tribe, like those 

 from the number of rays in the fins of 

 fishes, are not be relied upon. The 

 colours are liable to some variation; but 

 the peculiar form and disposition of the 

 spots, lines, and other markings, afford, 

 in general, a character, by which the dif- 

 ferent species may be distinguished. 



C. vipera. Somewhat ferruginous, spot- 

 ted with brown ; beneath whitish ; tail 

 short and mucronated. Abdominal scuta 

 118, subcaudal scales 22. Linnaeus. This 

 is the common viper of Egypt ; it is im- 

 ported in considerable quantities every 

 year to Venice, for the use of the apothe- 

 caries. Its size is somewhat smaller than 

 that of the common viper ; the head not 

 so flat on the top, but very protuberant 

 on each side ; snout very obtuse. The 

 body is thick towards the middle, and 

 somewhat quadrangular, but thin and 

 cylindric towards the head and tail, which 

 last is short, slender, conical, and termi- 

 nated by a slightly incurved horny point 

 or tip. The scales on the upper parts 

 are oval and carinated. Hasselquist de- 

 scribes this species as being about two 

 spans in length, exclusive of the tail, 

 which measures only an inch. This is 

 supposed by some to be the asp, by the 

 bite of which the celebrated Cleopatra 

 determined rather to die than submit to 

 be carried captive to Rome, to grace the 

 triumph of Augustus. 

 C. berus. On the head a bilobate spot; 



body above cinerous (or reddish) with a 

 black flexuous zig-zag stripe down the 

 back, and belly purplish. Coluber berus, ^ 

 abdominal scuta 146, subcaudal scales 39. 

 Linnaeus. This is the common English 

 viper, and which is not only frequent in 

 this country, but appears to be generally 

 diffused over the rest of Europe, and 

 some parts of Asia. If the varieties, de- 

 scribed by Gmelin, are of the same spe- 

 cies, it extends also as far as India. 



Though the viper varies considerably 

 in colour, from a pale cinereous or yellow- 

 ish ferruginoub, to deep or dull brown, 

 the varieties agree in being marked with 

 a continued series of confluent rhomboid 

 blackish spots, extending from the head 

 to the tail. The general length of the 

 viper is from eighteen inches to two feet, 

 and it is affirmed by some writers to grow 

 even to the length of three feet. The 

 fangs of the viper, like those of other 

 poisonous serpents, are situated on each 

 side the fore part of the upper jaw, and 

 are generally two in number, with a few 

 smaller ones situated behind. The poi- 

 son, as usual, lies in a receptacle at the 

 base of the fangs, and being perforated, 

 when the animal bites, the compression 

 of those receptacles forces out a drop of 

 the poisonous fluid, which, passing 

 through the aperture of the fangs, is im- 

 mediately instilled into the wound. The 

 tongue is forked, and, being soft and 

 flexible, is susceptible of great extension : 

 it may be, perhaps, superfluous to add, that 

 this tongue is altogether incapable of in- 

 flicting any wound, or injecting poison, 

 as some ancient writers credulously af- 

 firm ; it may assist the animal in the cap- 

 ture of its insect prey. The French na- 

 turalists are inclined to believe it is in- 

 tended by nature to supply some defect 

 of transpiration in the skin. Hitherto the 

 viper has been considered the most poi- 

 sonous of the European serpents, and 

 many instances are recorded of the fatal 

 effects resulting from its bite. That the 

 bite of this serpent is always productive 

 of pain and temporary inflammation in 

 the parts bitten is very evident ; some- 

 times also the symptoms may become 

 alarming, or in a few instances, through 

 neglect or injudicious treatment of the 

 wound, may even prove fatal; but, upon 

 the whole, the bite of this creature does 

 not appear pregnant with all those dan- 

 gers which the terrors and prejudices of 

 the vulgar lead them to suppose. In Eng- 

 land the bite of the viper is rarely attend- 

 ed with fatal consequences. Fontana 

 seems to doubt whether any well attested 

 instance can be adduced of the viper hav- 



