BUFFON’S CLASSIFICATION. 13 
Buffon’s classification of Ophidians* is as follows, viz. : 
le] 
Genera. . Be Genera. Genera. 
| | a 
1. Boa, 18 10. Cenchris,* . 1] |) ¢ Orvetia, 
2. Python, | 5 j) 11. Vipera,* | 5 | wa V ries a 
3. Coral, 1 1 | 12. Coluber, [150 | 20. Ophiosaurus, 2 
4. Bungarus,* 2: 18. Platurus,* ' 4 | 21. Pelamis, 3 
5. Hurria, | 3 | 14. Enhydris, | 5 ; 22. Hydrophis,* 6, 
6. Acanthopis,* 1. 15. Langaha,* | 1 " 23. Acrochordon, 1 
7. Crotalus,* 7 | 16. Erpetons, | 1 4, Amphisbena, 2 
8 Scytalus,* | i) 17. Eryxe, | 4. 25. Cecilia, | 4 
9. Lachesis,* 2 § 18. Clothonia,s 2 | 
Making a total of 25 genera composed of 251 species; of 
these he considered 11 genera (viz., Nos. 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 
13, 15, 18, and 22), composing 36 species, as venomous, and 
14 genera of 215 species as innocuous. 
Many other species of the genera innocuous are known to 
be venomous, such as the Coral, Acrochordon, and Amphis- 
beena, and later naturalists have found it necessary to modify 
the preceding classification considerably. The one generally 
accepted as the most complete at the present time is undoubt- 
edly that of the celebrated zoologist, Dr. Giinther.+ 
Dr. Fayrer, in his Thanatophidia, adopts Giinther’s classifi- 
eation, This gives no North American genera. The discrep- 
ancy, however, is filled by the following: 
* Buffon’s Nat. Hist., vol. 83, p. 87. 
+ Reptiles of British India, London, 1864. 
