COPHIAS MUTUS. 105 



COPHIAS CACOD^MON.— Black Viper, or Demon. 

 Spec. Char. Body deep black ; head broad and tumid. 



Scytale niger ; Daudin, Revt. v. p. 342. Black Viper; Catesby, Carol, ii. t. 44. 

 Shaw,Zool. iii. t. 102. 



Length of the common viper, but of a much thicker form, and 

 entirely of a rusty-black colour. It is slow in its motions, and 

 when irritated dilates the head, which is naturally large, to a sur- 

 prising width, and threatening at the same time with a horrid hiss ; 

 the fangs are large, and the animal is said to be as dangerous as the 

 Rattle-snake. It is a native of Ceylon, inhabiting chiefly the 

 higher grounds. 



COPHIAS MUTUS.— The Bush-master? 



Spec. Char. Body pale ochraccous or straw-coloured, 

 with a chain of dark reddish-brown rhomboidal dorsal 

 spots; abdomen and tail beneath without spots. 



### Head covered with scales ; tail ending in a spine. 



Crotalus mutus; Lin.Syst.Nat.p. 373. Boamuta; LaCepede, Serp. ii. p. 389. Lache- 

 sismuta ; Daud. Rept. v. p. 351. L. atra; Baud. I. c. p. 354. ScytaleAmmodytes; 

 Latreille, Rept. iii. p. 106; Daud. v. p. 347. Scytale catcnata ; Lair. I. c. 

 p. 162. Boa crotallina; Shaw, Zool. iii. p. 352. Coluber alecto ; Shaw, I.e. 

 p. 405. Cunicucu; Marg. Brasil, p. 241. Seba, Thes. ii. t. 76, f. 1. Bothrops 

 Curucucu; Wagler, Serp. Bras. p. 59, t. 23. Copliias mutus; Merrem, Amph. 

 p. 154, n. I. 



Inhabits Brazil and Surinam, in moist woods. It is a large, fierce, 

 and very dangerous reptile, frequently attaining the length of six 

 or seven feet. It is of a pale yellowish colour, marked on the back 

 by a chain of large reddish -brown or black rhomboidal spots, and 

 is armed with very large and strong fangs. 



