SNAKES 



597 



splinters of wood into its head, so that it resembled the rarer horned variety. The Pl'FF- 

 ADDER, the largest member of its tribe, may attain to a length of 6 feet or more, and is 

 distributed throughout the African Continent. Its thick body is almost triangular in section, 

 the head very large, flat, and bluntly rounded anteriorly, while the eyes have a particularly 

 fierce, stony, and repulsive aspect. In colour individuals vary considerably, but there is generally 

 a chequered pattern of reds, browns, and greys, disposed in the form of darker and lighter 

 alternating crescent-shaped bands along the back. The poison of this snake is nearly as 

 virulent as that of the horned viper, and is commonly used by the African bushmen for 

 poisoning their arrows. 



The Viperine group is abundantly represented in the New World, where its members 

 dift'er from the typical Old World species in sundry anatomical points, one of the most con- 

 spicuous features being the presence of a distinct depression or pit in the surface of the head 

 between the nostril and the eye on either side. On this account they are distinguished 

 b}' the title of PiT-VlPERS. Among the more familiar representatives of this group are the 

 Rattle-snakes, the Fer-de-lance, the Bush-master, and the Copper-head or Mocassin- 

 snakes. All these are notoriously venomous, fatal effects from bites received by human subjects 

 being of frequent recurrence. The Rattle-SNAKES are especially distinguished by the peculiar, 

 loosely jointed, horny appendage to their tails, by the rapid vibration of which, when disturbed, 

 they fortunately give timely notice of their presence. In the young individuals this rattle 

 is only represented b)' a single button-like knob, additional loose, hollow, horny rings being 

 added between it and the scaly termination of the tail as age increases. In full-grown 

 examples the horny rings composing the rattle may number as many as twenty or more, 

 though, owing to the war of extermination incessantly levied against these reptiles in all 

 civilised areas, it is rarely that such elaborate rattle-bearers are now met with. The rattle- 

 snake, in the more northern districts of its distribution, hibernates in the winter, often 

 congregating together in great numbers for the sake of the mutual warmth. In the earlier 

 days certain caves were famous as the retreats into which not only hundreds but thousands 

 of the reptiles would congregate from the country round for their winter's slumber. At such 

 times hunting-parties were specially organised for their wholesale destruction, and accomplished 

 much towards reducing their ranks to their present numbers. 



In addition to the common North American rattle-snake there are some four or five 

 other species distributed throughout the Southern States, Mexico, and Panama. None appear 

 to exceed a length of 6 feet. In South America their place is to a large extent taken 



By ftrmiaion of tha New Tori Zi 



ncal Society 



FER-DE-LANCE SNAKE 



One of tie forces! and mosl venomous of American viperine snakes 



