92 Fauna Italica. 



* 

 thor " Solo in pochi punti differiscono fra loro i generi Vipera e Pe- 



lias. Laddove nel primo il capo e depresso, allargato posteriormente, 



coperto nella parte superiore di piastre o piuttosto squame convesse, 



lo spigolo rostrale e risentito, prominente sull' apice del muso; il Pe- 



lias ha il capo ovale, men depresso e men sensibilmente distinto dal 



tronco, coperto superiormente di scudetti piani anzi leggermente con- 



cavi, lo spigolo rostrale non e risentito, ne rilevato affalto sull' apice 



del muso." Subsequently he observes of Pelias : 



" I moti di queste sono in paragone men lenti ; l'indole loro e piu 

 fiera ed al solito riescono assai piu pericolose, perche, anche senza 

 essere provocate, impetuosamente si slanciano e mordono." 



This would appear to be the viper of Ray and Pennant, the Colu- 

 ber berus and prester of Linnaeus, C. chersea and Vipere commune 

 of Cuvier, the iEsping of the Swedes, &c. &c. The number of names 

 which have been collected by the Prince as synonyms of this species 

 are remarkable, and we must say, not reconcilable to each other in 

 all instances. The Vipere of Cuvier, for instance, does not agree with 

 the reptile figured in this work. We have given the characters at 

 length, in order to draw the attention of the reader to the elucida- 

 tion of this genus. We strongly suspect that both Pelias and Vipera 

 are to be found in this country. The writer of these observations has 

 frequently killed the common viper on the moors in Northumberland, 

 which is a very dark-coloured, slow and sluggish animal, moving 

 from its coil when disturbed with great difficulty, and, it has always 

 been found, basking in sunny dry places. On one occasion, whilst shoot- 

 ing in a district upon the Reed near the Carter Fell, in a deep fern 

 bed, he met with a reptile, which in colour, form, and activity, dif- 

 fered so much from any he had seen before or since, that he was sa- 

 tisfied it was different from the common species. It was so active 

 that there was great difficulty in securing it, and it bit at the gun- 

 stock with uncommon, virulence, but being at the time more intent 

 in the pursuit of game than on that of natural history, he neglected 

 preserving it. However, it agreed in every respect with the Pelias 

 berus now described, and it is mentioned for the purpose of drawing 

 the attention of those who may have opportunities of attending to 

 the subject. 



The common name of this animal in Italy is, Marasso palustre, to 

 shew its habits of frequenting marshy districts, where it avoids the 

 sun, keeping in the shade excepting in the early morning. It swims 

 with great facility. It has not yet been seen south of the Apennines, 

 but is found beyond the Alps. In the colouring in some of the lower 

 parts there is a citrine yellow tint, which was one of the peculiarities 



