CLASS III. EEPTILIA: ORDER 4. OPHIDIA. 
395 
of the sort occurred. The mungoos. left not the conflict for a breathing-space; and at the end 
of about ten minutes, the cobra di capello lay dead, torn and mangled piecemeal by the little 
animal, which frisked and danced about, with a purring sound, in a perfect frenzy of enjoyment. 
" As I held out my hand, actually believing, in the enthusiasm of the moment, that it would 
approach to receive my caresses, the mungoos, giving a bright, quick look at me, stamped its 
tiny feet briskly on the relics of the serpent, as if in scorn of its victim, and disappeared among 
the brushwood. I had forgotten the poor luonkey. I found it stretched out, stiff and stark, 
among the datura flowers. The mungoos had come too late !" 
There appear to be several other species of this venomous genus in India and the contiguous 
islands, as the iV. Bungarus of Java and Sumatra ; the N, Bitngaroides, a somewhat smaller spe- 
cies, found in the same countries ; the N. 'porphyrica and N. curta, natives of Australia, &c. 
Genus HAMADRYAS : Hamadryas. — To this belong several species of hooded serpents, re- 
sembling the cobra di capello, one of Avhicli is the Sunkr Choar or Great Hooded Tree-Snahe 
of India, H. opliiopliagus ; their poison is, however, less active, though generally fatal. They are 
said to feed on other serpents ; it is probable that the accounts given of very large cobras, meas- 
uring from ten to fifteen feet, refer to species of hamadryas. 
There are several other genera of Viperidaj, according to Dr. Gray, as Dahoia^ Mchis^ and Sepedon. 
Some belong to Asia, but the greater part to Africa. 
THE COLUBKmA. 
Nature seems to have delighted in the form of the serpent, for it is not only multiplied exceed- 
ingly throughout the warm parts of the earth, but these animals are greatly diversified in their 
endowments. Some are of enormous size and power, others are not larger than a withe ; the 
most vivid colors, green, red, and yelloAV, are bestowed on some, while others are of somber 
black or brown ; many have poisonous fangs, and inflict death by their bite ; others, and much 
the larger number, are harmless. The Coluhrina, especially, are numerous, and, comprising ser- 
pents of very diflferent attributes, have been very difli"erently arranged by naturalists. Not 
attempting to follow any of these systems, we shall only present brief descriptions of some of 
the most interesting groups belonging to this division. 
THE BICOLORED SEA-SNAKE. 
THE HYDEID^, OR SEA-SNAKES. 
These are confined to the seas of Asia, and the Asiatic and Polynesian Islands, seldom even 
ascending the mouths of rivers. It is said, indeed, that they cannot live in fresh water, but 
this is probably a mistake, as they are air-breathing animals, and visit the shore, where, in fact, 
they deposit their eggs. They are often seen at sea asleep, and are then easily captured. They 
