THE BLACK VIPER. 



129 



the better instructed. For the Serpent does not even open its mouth when it strikes, but 

 darts its closed jaws at the foe, without even inflicting the trifling wounds which 

 might be caused by its small but needle-like teeth. Even if pushed about with a stick, 

 and handled in the roughest manner, it never bites, but contents itself with its impo- 

 tent personation of the venomous Snakes. 



Sometimes it tries other arts, and instead of simulating envenomed rage, pretends to 

 be dead and lies motionless, hoping to escape as soon as the enemy has gone away. 

 So perfectly does it assume the semblance of death, suffering itself to be tossed about 

 without displaying the least sign of life, the muscles relaxed and the body hanging 

 loosely and heavily in the hand, that experienced naturalists have been repeatedly de- 

 ceived, and only discovered the deception by seeing the reptile make its escape after 

 they had left it lying apparently dead upon the ground". 



N. 



HOQ-NOSE SNAKE. -Heterodon platyrhinus. 



BLACK VIPER. Heterodon alger. 



The color of the Hog-nose Snake is rather variable, but is generally of a darker or 

 lighter brown above, with a row of large blotches of a different shade of brown running 

 along the sides. Sometimes 'these blotches are so large, that they unite across the 

 back and form broad bands. There is a dark band between the eyes. The average 

 length of this reptile is about three feet. 



THE sombre BLACK VIPER belongs to the same genus as the preceding species, and is 



very similar to that reptile in many of its habits. It is a very ugly and ungraceful-looking 



Snake, with a neck of great width, and a head very narrow in front and very wide behind, 



and is by no means a pleasing object to the eye. It does not frequent the marshy 



9 



