VI PER A NASICORNIS. 75 



VtPERA NASICORNIS.— Horn-nose Snake. 



Spec. Char. — Body olivaceous yellow, variegated with 

 black ; a flexuous pale fascia on the sides , snout fur- 

 nished with two sharp-pointed horns. 



Coluber nasicornis ; Shato, A r a/. Mis cell. iii. t. 04. 



This remarkable species was first described by Dr. Shaw, in the Natu- 

 ralist's Miscellany. It is distinguished by two large pointed horns, 

 situated, not as in the Cerastes, above the eyes, but on the top of 

 the. nose, or anterior part of the upper jaw. These horns are some- 

 what flexible, triangular, inclined slightly backwards and outwards, 

 and at the base of each horn is a small erect scale of nearly the same 

 shape with the horn itself; thus giving the appearance of a much 

 smaller pair of horns. The mouth is furnished with extremely large 

 and long fangs, or poisonous teeth, two of which appear on each side 

 of the upper jaw. The length of this animal is about thirty-five 

 inches. Its colour is yellowish, olive-brown, very thickly sprinkled 

 all over with minute blackish specks. Along the whole length of 

 the back extends a series of yellowish-brown oblong spots, or 

 marks ; and on each side of the body, throughout its entire length, 

 runs an acutely flexuous or zigzag line, or narrow ochraceous band. 

 The belly is dull ochre colour, or cinereous yellow, marked with 

 blackish dots, and besides these a number of black spots of various 

 sizes are sparingly dispersed over the whole animal. The head is 

 broad, compressed, and covered with small scales, and marked on 

 the upper part by a longitudinal patch of brown, running out into 

 pointed processes, and bounded by a space of 'dull lead colour, or 

 cinereous. The scales on the whole of the upper part of the body 

 are hard, stiff, and strongly carinated ; the tail is somewhat thin 

 and short in proportion to the body. The Horned-snake is sup- 

 posed by Dr. Shaw to be a native of the interior of Africa. 



