CORALLINE SNAKE. 
On viewing the beautiful colours of the 
Coralline Snake, we almost lose the idea of 
horror which is attached to the representation 
of noxious animals in general. The rich lus- 
tre of the coralline red, banded at intervals 
with a delicate yellow, which is inclosed by 
a deep but brilliant blue, presents to the eye 
an assemblage so truly fascinating, that we 
incline to forget it is a serpent which wc 
are contemplating. 
It is called, by Goldsmith, the Coral Ser- 
pent ;. and he only informs us that it is red, 
and that it's bite is said to be fatal. 
Of this fatality, however, we have some 
doubt j though Dr. Owen, in bis Essay towards 
a Natural History of Serpents, certainly as- 
serts that, in general, the red in serpents is a 
denotation of their malignity. 
The Coralline Snake is unquestionably a 
native of South America ; and a snake which 
greatly resembles it, only that the blue bands 
are said to be black, is mentioned by Captain 
Stedman, in his account of Surinam. 
The 
