Chap. XII. 
EEPTILES. 
31 
this incumbrance he could not ^vithdraw himself ; 
finding this, he reluctantly disgorged the precious 
morsel, which began to move off ; this was too much 
for snake philosophy to bear, and the toad was again 
seized, and again was the snake, after violent efforts 
“ to escape, compelled to part wdth its prey. This time,, 
however, a lesson iiad been learnt, and the toad was 
seized by one leg, withdrawn, and then swallowed in 
triumph.” 
It does not, however, follow because snakes have 
some reasoning power and strong passions, that they 
should likewise be endowed with sufficient taste to 
admire brilliant colours in their partners, so as to 
lead to the adornment of the species through sexual 
selection. Nevertheless it is difficult to account in 
any other manner for the extreme beauty of certain 
species ; for instance, of the coral-snakes of S. America,, 
which are of a rich red with black and yellow transverse 
bands. I well remember how much surprise I felt at 
the beauty of the first coral-snake which I saw gliding 
across a path in Brazil. Snakes coloured in this peculiar 
manner, as Mr. Wallace states on the authority of Dr. 
Giinther,^^ are found nowhere else in the world except 
in S. America, and here no less than four genera occur. 
One of these, Elaps, is venomous ; a second and widely- 
distinct genus is doubtfully venomous, and the two others 
are quite harmless. The species belonging to these dis- 
tinct genera inhabit the same districts, and are so like 
each other, that no one but a naturalist wnuld distin- 
guish the harmless from the poisonous kinds.” Hence, 
as Mr. Wallace believes, the innocuous kinds have pro- 
bably acquired their colours as a protection, on the 
principle of imitation ; for they would naturally be 
‘ Westminster Eeview,’ July 1st, 1867, p. 32. 
