272 CLASS REPTILIA. 



eyebrow. It is greyish, and keeps itself concealed 

 in the sand, in Egypt, Lybia, &c. The ancients 

 have often mentioned it. 



The Plumed Vipei\ Vip. Lopliopliris, Nob. (Voyage 

 of Paterson,) 



Has on each eyebrow, instead of a horn, a small 

 group of short and corneous threads. It lives in 

 the environs of the Cape. 



Other vipers, in other respects very similar to the 

 preceding, have on the middle of the top of their 

 head three plates, a little larger than the scales which 

 surround them.* 



The Little T^iper (Col. Cher sea, Lin.), Col. Berus 

 of Laurenti and Daud. 



Is nearly similar to the common viper, and is espe- 

 cially distinguished by the three plates in question. 

 It is more rare, and smaller in size. It is also pre- 

 tended that it is more venomous. f 



There are some individuals almost entirely black, 



Berus of Linnseus, inasmuch as he only quotes on this subject Aldrovan- 

 dus, 115, which is this species, 



* Merrem has made of this division his genus Pelias. 



J It is the-3^sping of the Swedes (cBsping, a corruption o{ aspis), clearly 

 represented in the Mem. de Stockholm for 1 749, pi. vi. Nevertheless, 

 Saurenti, Spec. Med. p. 97, has transformed to it the name of Berm. It 

 is also the Pelias Berus of Merrem, Vijy. Benis of Fitzinger. 



