THE VENOMS. 87 



for some reason or other, have not succumbed to 

 the venom, never recover their former condition; 

 if they were young, their functions cease to develop, 

 and they droop; if they are adults, their general 

 condition remains that of stupefaction. 



Venomous Serpents. — Among the venomous ser- 

 pents,* the most important as well as the most 

 dangerous are the following: Cobra di capello 

 (Naja tripudians, the hooded cobra) and its ana- 

 logues, the black Naja, Naja hag6, etc. ; the elops 

 (coral serpent) ; the bungurus of Bengal and 

 Burmah; the Platycercus proteroglyphia, which is 

 found chiefly in the waters of the Indian Ocean; 

 the crotalian solenoglyphs of the two Americas, 

 and among which in particular are the rattlesnake, 

 the fer-de-lance (the yellow viper) of Martinique; 

 the surucucu of Guiana; and the moccasins and 

 copperheads of Texas and Florida. Lastly, the 

 entire group of viperian solenoglyphs, among 

 which are the Echidnae, the bite of some of which, 

 for instance the daboia or echidna, is dreadful; the 

 African vipers, among which may be mentioned 

 the horned viper, the bite of which will kill a camel ; 

 the springing viper of Congo, and the rhinoceros- 

 viper of Gabun; the European vipers, the most 

 dangerous of which is certainly the asp of France, 

 which is exceedingly numerous in certain regions. 



*Calmbtte: Le Ve.iin -'es Serpents, Paris, 1896. 



