9 



( 217 ) 



% dark brown colour, diverfified with 

 white fpots : the tail is fmall and point- 

 ed, and the head is fomewhat flat, and 

 larger than the reft of the body. An 

 unhappy inftance of the fatality of the 

 poifon of this Snake, lately happened on 

 the Plantation Conception, in Demerary 9 

 now belonging to the Chevalier Cornette 

 de VenancQiirt, an Officer of eminence 

 in the fervice of France, at the furren- 

 der of Guardahipe. The perlbn who 

 experienced the unhappy efFedts of this 

 poifon was a Negro Slave, a carpenter 

 by trade, who, in endeavouring to turn 

 a piece of timber, on which he was at 

 work, was bit in the fore-finger of the 

 right hand, by a Snake of this kind, 

 concealed under the timber. The ef- 

 fects of the poifon were inftantaneous ; 

 the Negro had but juft time to kill the 

 Snake, when his limbs were unable to 

 fupport him, and he fell to the ground 

 and expired in lefs than five minutes 



from 



