THE 



CERASTES, 



OR 



HORNED VIPER. 



Generic Character. 



Tranfverfe Lamellae under the abdomen. 

 Alternate Scales under the tail. 



Specific Character, &c. 



FERRUGINOUS-BROWN HORNED VIPER 

 with about 150 abdominal plates and 25 fub- 

 caudal fcales. 



The CERASTES, or HORNED SNAKE. 



The Coluber Ceraftes, which commonly grows to the 

 length of about a foot or fifteen inches, is diftinguhlied 

 by a pair of horns or curved procelfes, feated above 

 the eyes and pointing forwards. Thefe horns have no- 

 thing analogous in their ftrudrure to the horns of qua- 

 drupeds, and are by no means to be confidered in the 

 light of either offenfive or defenlive weapons : they in- 

 creafe however the natural antipathy fo generally felt 

 againft the ferpent tribe, and give the animal a more 



than 



