434- THE CERASTES, 
leisure. In order to make it adhesive to the arrow-point, it is mixed with 
tue glutinous juice of tne amaryllis. 
The colour of the Puff Adder is brown, chequered with dark brown and 
white, and with a reddish band between the eyes. The under parts are paler 
than the upper. 
THE true CERASTES, or HORNED VIPER, is a native of Northern Africa, 
and divides with the cobra of the same country the questionable honour of 
being the “ worm of Nile” to whose venomous tooth Cleopatra's death was 
due. . 
The bite of this most ungainly-looking serpent is extremely dangerous, 
though perhaps not quite so deadly as that of the cobra, and the creature 
is tuerefore not quite so much dreaded as might be imagined. The Cerastes 
has a must curious appearance, owing to a rather large horn-like scale 
which projects over each eye, and which, according to the natives, is 
possessed of wonderful virtues. 
The Cerastes has, according to Bruce, an awkward habit of crawling until 
it is alongside of the creature whom it is about to attack, and then making 
a side-long leap at its victim. He relates an instance where he saw a 
Cerastes perform a certainly curious feat :—I saw one of them at Cairo 
crawl up the side of a box 
in which there were many, 
and there lie still as if hid- 
ing himself, till one of the 
people who brought them to 
us came near him, and 
though in a very disadvan- 
tageous position, sticking, as 
it were, perpendicularly to 
the side of the box, he 
’ leaped near the distance of 
three feet, and fastened be- 
tween the man’s fore-finger 
and thumb, so as to bring 
the blood.” 
The Cerastes usually lives 
in the driest and hottest 
parts of Northern Africa, 
CERASTES, OR HORNED VIPER,—(Cerastes and lies half buried in the 
, Hasselquistii.) sand until its prey ‘should 
; ; come within reach. Like 
many serpents, it can endure a very prolonged frost without appearing to 
suffer any inconvenience ; those kept by Bruce lived for two years in a 
glass jar without partaking of ‘food, and seemed perfectly brisk and lively,: 
casting their skins as usual, and not even becoming torpid during the winter. 
The colour cf the Cerastes is pale brownish white, covered irregularly with 
brown spots. Its length is about two feet. - 
THE common VIPER, or ADDER, is very well known in many parts of 
England, but in some localities is very plentiful, while in others it is never 
seen from one year’s end to another. 
Many persons mistake the common grass snake for the Viper, and dread 
it accordingly. They may, however, always distinguish the poisonous reptile 
from the innocuous, by the chain of dark spots that runs along the spine, 
and forms an unfailing guide to its identification. Fortunately for our- 
selves, it is the only poisonous reptile inhabiting England, the variously 
coloured specimens being nothing more than varieties of the same species, 
