22 



of which latter have the faculty of dilating the skin of 

 the neck by the extension of the ribs, so as to form a 

 kind of hood over the head. The Indian species have 

 a yellow spot on the back of the neck : they are used by 

 jugglers for their exhibitions. The Coral Snakes are 

 very similar to the last, except that their neck is not 

 dilatable. 



Cases 7 to 13 contain a great variery of Tree Snakes 

 from their living much in trees. The Bullheaded 

 Snakes and Boas, which kill their prey by crushing 

 it between the folds of their body, often twisting their 

 tail round the root of a tree to increase the pressure : 

 the Sea Snakes, peculiar to the Seas of Asia and New 

 Holland. 



Cases 14 and 15 contain dry specimens of Reptiles. 

 On the upper shelves are specimens of Indian and Af- 

 rican Crocodile, and the Crocodile of the Ganges called 

 the Gavial. The crocodile differs from the alligator 

 only in being more slender in body, and the snout more 

 tapering from the forehead : these animals are interest- 

 ing from the terror they inspire in every living creature, 

 in the locality of their residence, as well as the great 

 and increasing devastations they commit : happily they 

 abound in those uninhabited regions of Africa and 

 America, in those immense rivers that roll through ex- 

 tensive and desolate kingdoms, where arts have never 

 penetrated, where force only makes distinction, and the 

 most powerful animals exert their strength with confi- 

 dence and security. These deadly creatures have been 

 seen 30 feet long; their usual size is 18 feet, and are 

 capable of bending their bodies like a bow ; so that the 

 assertion of persons escaping from them by turning out of 

 the right line, must be unfounded. They seldom come 

 on land, but float down the rivers, and seize whatever 

 animal comes in their way ; disappointed in this they 

 conceal themselves among the sedges near the bank, 

 and wait until some animal, bull, tiger, or even man 

 himself come to drink : tigers, often parched with thirst 

 are frequently its victims ; and while drinking, unsuspect- 

 ing an enemy so near, the crocodile seizes him with a 



