Defer. 
Teeth, 
18 VY Y BE e: Clafs Ii. 
They are viviparous, not but that they are hatch- 
ed from an internal ege; being of that clafs of ani- 
mals, of whofe generation Ariffotle* fays, Ev auras 
pty worons, TO TéAcov wiv, Few dz Cworonety 7. eC. They 
“conceive a perfect ege within, -but bring forth their 
young alive. 
Providence is extremely kind in making this fee. 
cies far from being prolific, we having never heard 
of more than ae eges being ul in one viper, 
and thofe are as if chained together, and each about 
the fize of a klackbird’s eee. 
‘The viper grows feldom toa greater length than 
two feet; tho’ once we faw a female (which is nearly 
a third larger than the male) which was almoft three 
feet long. 
The stead: color of this ‘desde is a dirty 
yellow ; that of the female deeper. Its back is 
marked the whole length with a feries of rhomboid 
black fpots, touching each other at the points; the 
fides with triangular ones ; the belly entirely black. 
There is a variety wholly black; but the rhom- 
boid marks are very confpicuous even in this, being 
of a deeper and more gloffy hue than the reft. Pe- 
tiver calls it the Vipera Anglica Nigricans. Pet. Muf. 
No: 204**. 
The head of the viper is inflated, which diftin- 
euifhes it from the common fnake. The tongue 
forked; the teeth fmall; the four canine teeth 
are placed two on each fide the upper jaw: 
thefe inftruments of poifon are long, crooked, and 
* De Gen. an. lib. iii. ¢. 2. * 
** Coluber Prefter. Lin. Af. 377. Bole. Fann. fuec. No. 287. 
moveable, 
