596 



The Living Animals of the World 



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such an incident, receiving the poison-discharge in liis eyes from one of these snakes, which, 

 in his eagerness to dispatch it, he had imprudently cornered, armed only with a sword. It 

 was some days before the |iain entirely abated and the sight regained its normal clearness. 



Australia, with its Black and Tjger-sxakes and the Death-adder, possesses snakes as 

 venomous as the cobra, which the iirst-named species approach in their capacity to inflate 

 their necks, though to a less degree. The Tasmanian Black Snake, as it glides swiftly, as 

 though sailing, across open grass-land, with the midday sun scintillating on its 7-foot stretch 

 of jet-black, highly polished scales, its head and expanded neck threateningly ele\ated some 

 18 inches above the ground, is certainly a most imjiressive sight. 



One very distinct group of the front-fanged section which demands brief notice is that 

 of the Sea-snakes. These are readily distinguished by their especial adaptation to a marine 

 existence, their much-compressed, oar-like tails constituting powerful propelling organs. In 

 contradistinction to the terrestrial snakes of the same group, the inferior scales, not being 

 required for terrestrial locomotion, are little if any larger than the upper ones. All the species 

 are highly venomous; they feed chiefly upon fisli, and are distributed throughout the tropical 

 seas. The larger species rarely exceed 5 or 6 feet in length, and the majority are much 

 smaller. IMany species are noted for their conspicuous colouring, which most frecpiently takes 



the form of distinctly contrasting bands. All 

 the members of this group are viviparous. 



The last and mo>t highly specialised 

 section of the Snake Trilie is that of the 

 VirEE and its allies, collectively known as 

 the Viperine Family. In all the representa- 

 tives of this group the hinder upper jaw-bone 

 is so loosely articulated that it is capable of 

 erection at a right angle to the horizontal 

 plane of the skull, the gape of the mouth 

 being in consequence abnormally wide. The 

 teeth in the ui)per jaw are reduced to a single 

 anteriorly situated pair of tubular poison-fangs, 

 with which, when striking its prey, the snake 

 deals a direct stab. The head in the majority 

 of the ^'iperine Snakes is flattened and tri- 

 angular, nearly resembling in contour the 

 symbolic ace of spades. The body is usually 

 relatively thick, and the tail short and stumpy. The vertical pupil of the eye denotes nocturnal 

 habits. All the members of the section are venomous. 



The Viperine Snakes are usually di\ided into two gnnips. The first contains the Typical 

 or Old World Vipers, and includes, in addition to the Common Vipeh, the Cerastes or Horned 

 Viper of Egypt, and the large and most repulsive and deadly African Puff-adder The 

 Common Viper or Adder, the only poisonous British snake, has a very extensive geographical 

 distribution, extending throughout Europe and Asia as far east as the island of Sac^haUen, and 

 northwards to the Arctic Circle. The Horned Viper of the Sahara and North Africa is one of 

 the most venomous of living serpents. Lying buried beneath the sand, with only its head 

 above, it will spring aggressively at any animal which passes by, and the action of its venom 

 IS so rapid that a horse or man bitten by it usually dies within half an hour. In colour the 

 horned viper closely resembles the sand or stony wastes among which it lies. The most 

 remarkable feature in this snake is the presence of two elevated horn-like processes immediately 

 above tlie eyes, which are most prominent in the male. The species has frequently been on 

 view at the Z.H.logical Society's Gardens. On one occasion an ostensible example was purchased 

 and deposited m the Eeptile-house, which proved on nearer investigation to be a base imposition 

 A common desert-viper had been cleverly manipulated by the deft insertion of suitably shaped 



Fhati, hu J. W. McldUui] 



llATTLE-SNAKE. 



{Hujhbv.nj. 



The rattle-snako is pre-enjiiiently nntej for ita power of fascinatinf^ birds 

 .■mil t.lie smaller nianiiiials. 



