THE ZOOLOGICAL DEPAR'J'MENT. 
[upper 
from their power of inflating their bodies when irritated. Cases 10, 
11. The Boas, with rudiments of legs ; they are not venomous, and kill 
their prey by constriction, twisting the end of their prehensile tail 
round a tree, and thus increasing their power over the animal when 
encircled by the folds of their body ; their gape is enormous. Case 13. 
The Colubrine Snakes, many of which have poison-fangs, such as the 
Sea-snakes found in the seas of Asia and Australia; the Coral Snakes, 
banded with black and red rings ; the Cobra Snakes, which can dilate 
the skin of the neck so as to form a kind of hood behind the head; 
they are the snakes used by the Indian jugglers, who carefully ex- 
tract the poison-fangs before using them in the performances. The 
Tree Snakes called, from the great length of their bodies, the Coach- 
whip Snakes ; one kind has the nose much produced. 
Cases 14-22. The Tortoises and Turtles. Cases 14, 15. The 
Land Tortoises live on vegetable substances ; the gigantic, so called, 
Indian Tortoises were formerly common in the Mascarene and Gala- 
pagos islands, whence sailors procured them for food. Cases 16-19. 
The Fresh-water Tortoises live on animal food ; some of these cannot 
withdraw their heads into the cavity of the shell like the other Tor- 
toises. Cases 20-22. The Three-clawed Terrapins live in the rivers 
of Africa, Asia, and America; they are carnivorous, and eat their food 
in the water. The Marine Turtles live in the ocean, feeding chiefly 
on sea- weeds and shell-fish ; these include the Green Turtle, the fat 
of which is so much relished by the gourmand ; the imbricated Turtle, 
which furnishes the "tortoise shell." 
Cases 22-25. The Crocodiles and Amphisb^nas. The Cro- 
codiles and Alligators drown their prey before devouring it; the 
Alligators are only found in America ; the Crocodiles in Australia, 
India, Africa, and America; the Gavial, or long-beaked Crocodile, is 
peculiar to India, and feeds chiefly on fishes, for taking which its long 
and slender snout and sharp teeth are well adapted. The Amphis- 
baenas are so called from both ends being nearly equally blunt, which 
has led to the idea that they could move backwards or forwards with 
equal ease. 
Case 26. The Batrachia, such as the Toads, Frogs, and Efts; 
the Tree-frogs can walk on polished surfaces, and over the smoothest 
leaves ; the Bull-frogs of America, so called from their loud bellowing 
noise ; the horned Frogs of Brazil ; the Pipa of Brazil, which tranf<fers 
the eggs into cells on the back of the female, where they are hatched, 
passing through the form of the tadpole, and escaping as a 
perfect animal after a certain period ; the great Salamander from 
Japan, the Siren of Carolina, which looks like an eel, with front 
legs — it is a truly amphibious animal, with lungs and gills ; as is 
the Proteus of the caves of Carniola, which is here further exemplified 
by a wax model, to show its appearance when alive ; the coral- 
coloured appendages to the head are the gills. 
The Table Cases (1 to 10) contain the Echini, or Sea-eggs, such as 
the Club-spinnd Echinus and the Tessellated Echinus ; the spines 
readily fall off when the animal is dead. Tables 7, 8. Sea-Pancakes, 
