$I'2 DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



prived it of its fangs, play with it, and manage it 

 so as to make it assume a sort of dancing motion. 

 The other species is the coluber haje from Egypt ; 

 it was procured by M. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. 

 It is said that by simply pressing on its head, this 

 snake can be deprived of all motion. This spe- 

 cies is thought to be the asp of the ancients. 



The common viper (c. berus) is found at Fon- 

 tainebleau, near Paris. The individuals of this 

 species vary so much, as to the arrangement of the 

 black and white spots and stripes on their skins, 

 that they have been taken for as many species, 

 whilst they constitute but one and the same. 

 The cerastes, or horned vipers, are distinguished 

 by a pair of curved processes, situated above the 

 eyes; they are frequently seen represented on 

 Egyptian monuments. This snake has a great 

 resemblance in form and colour to the erix of 

 the Turks ; but this being deprived of horns and 

 venom, the Egyptian jugglers engraft the spurs 

 of birds on its head, and exhibit it afterwards for 

 a cerastes, to show how they can prevent the 

 effect of its poison on themselves. A specimen 

 arranged in this way is seen in the collection. 

 The last genus amongst the ophidians is the genus 

 ccecilia ; thus named from the smallness of their 

 eyes. The two species in the cabinet inhabit 

 Guyana, and are found in the nests of ants. The 



