BRASILIAN SNAKE. 443 



liave originated from the following circumstance, 

 viz. the army of Juda being on the point of yield- 

 ing to that of Ardra, it happened that a large ser- 

 pent of this species made its appearance, which the 

 chief priest (probably knowing it to be innoxious) 

 lifted up in his arms, and displaying it as a kind 

 of miracle, or at least as a propitious omen, per- 

 suaded the army again to rally, by which means a 

 signal victory was obtained, and the animal was 

 in consequence exalted into a divinity. It is said 

 to arrive at a very considerable size, and is of 

 a whitish colour, ornamented on the upper part 

 throughout the whole length, by a triple range of 

 large oval rufous patches bordered with black: 

 the head is rather large, and covered with oval 

 carinated scales similar to those on the rest of the 

 animal : the mouth is destitute of fangs : the spe- 

 cimen in the royal cabinet, described by the Count 

 de Cepede, measured three feet five inches in total 

 length, the tail measuring five inches and nine lines. 



BRASILIAN SNAKE. 

 La Brasilieime. Cepede Serp. p, 11 g. pi. 4. /. 1. 



Described by Cepede, and considered as a 

 species before unnoticed : length about three feet, 

 but probably grows to a much larger size : head, as 

 well as body, covered with oval carinated scales: 

 snout terminated by a large and almost perpendi- 

 cular scale rounded at top, but em.arginated at 



