THE FER DE LANCE. 527 



sudden plunge, a heavy gliding motion betraying a large 

 rattlesnake making off almost Leneath his feet. 



THE FER DE LANCE. 



More dreaded than the jaguar or alligator is the jararaca — 

 the native name for the terrible serpent, the fer de lance 

 (Craspedo cephalus lanceolatus). The hideous creature, with 

 brown colour, flat, triangular head, connected to its olive- 

 tinted body by a thin neck, lies coiled up among a heap of 

 leaves, from which it can scarcely be distinguished till the 

 passer-by is close upon it ; then suddenly it rears its head, 

 which is armed with four long poisonous fangs, and, darting- 

 forward, strikes its victim with a deadly blow. Man, as well 

 as all animals, dreads it — except the hog, and its relative, the 

 little peccary, which are indifferent to the effects of its poison. 



On human beings its bite is generally fatal. Bates men- 

 tions several instances of death from it, and only one clear 

 case of recovery, — but in that instance the person was lame for 

 life. Although most other serpents fly from man, the jararaca 

 frequently attacks him ; leaping from its concealment among 

 the leaves, and inflicting a wound which in a few hours pro- 

 duces death. The first symptoms caused by the poison are 

 convulsions, pains at the heart, and distressing nausea, the 

 whole nervous system appearing to be greatly affected. The 

 only known remedy is the copious use of spirits, a large 

 amount of which is required to counteract the enervating 

 power of the poison. 



The jararaca is generally six feet long, but sometimes 

 reaches the length of eight feet. It is marked with dark 

 cross bands, while below it is of a whitish-gray hue, covered 

 with small dark spots. 



