COLLECTION OF REPTILES. 4^9 



tion is undoubtedly preferable to the stuffing of 

 the skins, as it maintains the natural form of the 

 animal, whilst it injures its colour but little. 



The ophidians are divided into two tribes; 

 those that are not poisonous and those which 

 are ; the upper jaw of which last is furnished 

 with fangs implanted into a gland which con- 

 tains the venom : these fangs being hollow ad- 

 mit the liquid, and carry it into the wound they 

 make. We shall only cite the species which are 

 most deserving our notice. The largest amongst 

 them are the boas and the pithons. We possess 

 fourteen species of the first, and three only of 

 the last. Young individuals of the species we 

 have seen on the wall are placed in the cases. 



The genus coluber is the most numerous of all. 

 We shall mention only five species amongst 

 those that inhabit our climate, ist. The ringed 

 snake [coluber natrlv), lives in the meadows, 

 and feeds upon frogs; it is kept in Sardinia for 

 the purpose of destroying the mice ; women and 

 children often play with it, and in some parts of 

 Italy it is dressed for eating under the name of the 

 bush-eel. 2d. The French snake (c. atrovirens), 

 which acquires sometimes four feet in length* 

 and is easily tamed. 3d. The smooth snake (c. aus- 

 triacus). 4th. The dun snake (c. elaphis), which 

 is from five to six feet long. 5th. The aesculapian 



