TRIGONOCEPHALUS PISCIVORUS. 



35 



over the nostril, tinging the outer margin of the superior orbital plate; below this 

 is a black vitta, beginning at the pit in front of the eye, and continuing backwards 

 to beyond the angle of the mouth, involving the loAver half of the pupil and iris. 

 The labial plates of the upper jaw are dirty white. The neck, body and tail of 

 the animal is dark brown, lightened tOAvards the sides to a dingy greenish-yellow, 

 where it is banded dark brown. The abdomen is leadish-grey, approaching to 

 black towards the tail. 



Dimensions. Length of head, H inches; breadth of head, 1 inch; length of 

 body, 19 inches; length of tail, 3^ inches; circumference of neck, 2 inches; circum- 

 ference of body, 5 inches. In the specimen described there were 130 abdominal 

 plates, and 29 plates under the tail, the first bifid; these were succeeded by 4 bifid 

 plates, or scales; and there were again two entire plates, succeeded by 8 scales, 

 or bifid plates. 



Habits. The Trigonocephalus piscivorus is found about damp, swampy places, 

 or in water — far from which it is never observed. In summer, numbers of these 

 serpents are seen resting on the low branches of such trees as overhang the 

 water, into which they plunge on the slightest alarm. Catesby thinks they select 

 these places to watch for their prey; they merely choose them in order to bask in 

 the sun; for in those situations deprived of trees, as the ditches of rice fields, their 

 basking places are often on dry banks. They are the terror of the negroes that 

 labour about rice plantations, where they are more dreaded than the Rattlesnake, 

 which only bites when irritated, or in self-defence, or to secure its prey; the 

 Water Moccasin, on the contrary, attacks every thing that comes within his 

 reach, erecting his head and opening his mouth for some seconds before he bites. 



I have placed in a cage with the Water Moccasin several of the harmless 

 snakes, as the Coluber guttatus, Coluber getulus, &c., at a time; they all evinced 

 the greatest distress, hanging to the sides of the cage, and endeavouring by every 

 means to escape from their enemy, who attacked them all in turn. Two animals 

 of his own species were then throw^n into the cage; he seemed instantly aware of 



