102 



juice, and place upon the wound in the shape of a poultice, after well- 

 cutting, sucking and squeezing it, and concoctions of which they 

 cause the unfortunate patient to drink ; but they appear to produce 

 no decided rehef to the patient, and although perhaps very good as 

 poultices to any inflammatory wounds, I do not imagine that these 

 herbs possess any antidotal properties to the venom of the serpent. 

 It is calculated that at the least twenty persons die annually in St. 

 Lucia from the bites of these serpents ; and, as I have often heard it 

 stated that in nineteen cases out of twenty the patient recovers, it 

 may be inferred that 180 people per annum are maimed or danger- 

 ously womided by them. 



2. ? ? The Couresse. 



The Couresse is a beautifully-formed little snake, perfectly harm- 

 less, from two and a half to three feet in length, and seldom attaining 

 more than 2|- mches in circumference, with 96 abdominal scuta and 

 86 rows of subcaudal squamae. 



Its small head, bright attractive eye, quick and elegant motion, and 

 its tapering body and tail, present a remarkable contrast to the cor- 

 responding characteristic of the last-mentioned Rat-tail serpent. 



The colour of the Couresse varies much ; they are generally found 

 of a dark blue colour, vrith white and grey variegations of every pos- 

 sible shape ; sometimes however yellowish brown prevails, but spotted 

 in a similar manner ; the belly is white, slightly tinged with blue, and 

 at the point of junction of the abdominal and other scales is always 

 found a dark spot. 



Four rows of small teeth are to be found in the upper jaw and two 

 rows in the lower. The head is covered by large scales. 



The Couresse cannot exist long without water, and will even drink 

 milk. When kept in a box with a vessel of water for their use, they 

 are more frequently fovmd in the water than out of it, this being their 

 only protection against their deadly enemies the ants. 



This snake is oviparous : the longest diameter of the eggs is five 

 lines, the shortest three hues. It feeds upou hzards, crapauds, mice, 

 and other small animals and reptiles. 



3. Coluber CONSTRICTOR ? The Chbro. 



The Clibro is fomad in this island as long as five and six feet, and 

 as large as from three and a half to four inches in circumference. It 

 is perhaps one of the most remarkable and useful of its species : it 

 has 236 abdominal scuta and 72 rows of subcaudal squamse, is of a 

 bluish colour with a white belly, and after its change of skin shines 

 like marble. The head is small, covered with large scales, and the 

 eye dark blue and opake. There are four rows of small teeth in the 

 upper jaw and two in the lower. The longest diameter of the egg is 

 eighteen lines, the shortest nine. 



One peculiarity of the Clibro is its apparently total disregard of 

 man. 



But its great singularity consists in its choice of food. It lives 

 principally upon other serpents, and of those chiefly the Rat-tail, 



