THE YELLOW SNAKE. 315 



the appellation of Yellow Snake. It commonly at- 

 tains a length of eight or ten feet, and a diameter of 

 two inches and a half in the thickest part of the body. 

 The ground colour is yellow, varying from bright 

 golden to a clay-colour, marked with black in irregu- 

 lar spots and confluent bands. These are very few 

 and remote at the fore-parts, but increase posteriorly, 

 the yellow at length disappearing except as scattered 

 spots on an unil'orm black ground. In the female 

 there is comparatively little black colour ; and the 

 tail is very obtuse. The trivial name inornatus, 

 which MM. Dumeril and Bibron have selected to 

 designate the species, must be considered as compara- 

 tive ; for this Boa, when seen alive, in its black and 

 yellow livery, is, I think, far from unadorned, the con- 

 trast of colours being fine, and the purple iridescent 

 glow that is reflected in the playing light from the 

 dark parts of its polished armour is very rich and 

 brilliant. (See Plate IV.) 



From its size and aspect the Yellow Snake is 

 looked on with considerable terror by the inhabitants, 

 though no one pretends to have known of a fatal 

 result from its bite. The worst evils that I hear of 

 as consequent upon its attacks are flesh wounds 

 attended with local inflammation, and rendered diffi- 

 cult to heal by the teeth sometimes breaking oflf in 

 the flesh: terror, however, will occasionally induce 

 fever in the patient. Instances are rare of even these 

 results ; the reptile usually retreating with precipita- 

 tion if attacked. It is not infrequently found in 

 houses and even in beds. I have been told of a 

 gentleman, who on awaking in the morning felt a 



p 2 



