20 



GUIDE TO EEPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS. 



(241) of this species distinguished by the absence of black patches 

 at the back of the head. The other harmless British species is the 

 Smooth Snake (Coronella amtriaca, 261), found in England only 

 in the south, and there but seldom. Both these Snakes have large, 

 shield-like scales on the top of the head, and thereby differ from the 

 Viper, as shown in the accompanying cuts. Other well-known 

 Snakes of the group are the North American Water-Mocassin 

 (Tropidonotus fasciatus, 242), the Indian Kat-Snake (Zamenis 

 mucosus) and the American Black Snake (Z. constrictor, 250), and, 

 belonging to another genus, the European Four-lined Snake 

 {Coluber quatuor-lineatus, 253), the North American Bull-Snake (C. 

 melanoleucus), and the South American Bushmaster (C. corais, 255)- 

 The Australian Dendrophis punctulatus (257) is a good example of 

 the Tree-Snakes, while the Small-scaled Snake (Coronella micropholis, 

 262), with its alternate bands of black and scarlet, displays a type of 

 colouring very uncommon among Serpents. 



An extremely interesting Snake in this family is the African 



Fig. 18. 



African Egg-eating Snake (Dasypeltis scabra) ; J nat. size. (No. 272-) 



Egg-eating Snake (Dasypeltis scabra, 272, fig- 18), which typifies a 

 sub-family (Dasypeltince) by itself. Its greatest peculiarity is that the 



