324 
natural history 
their hands; and, holding them with a firm grasp, the 
animal is altogether incapable of turning itself sufficiently 
to bite the hand that holds it fast. 
The length of the common viper seldom exceeds two 
feet, though sometimes they are found above three. The 
ground colour of their bellies is of a dirty yellow; that 
of the female is deeper. The back is marked the whole 
length with a series of rhomboid black spots, touching 
each other at the point; the belly is entirely black. It is 
chiefly distinguished from the common ringed snake by 
the colour, which in the ratter is more beautifully mottled, 
as well as by the head, which is thicker than the body; 
but particularly by the tail, which in the viper, though it 
end in a point, does not run tapering to so great a length 
as in the other: when, therefore, other distinctions fail, 
the difference of the tail can be discerned at a single 
glance. These animals are found in many parts of Eu- 
rope, particularly in the dry, stony, and chalky coun- 
tries. It is extremely difficult to kill this animal. It 
will exist for three or four hours, or longer, in spirits 
of wine: yet, tobacco, and especially its essential oil, 
proves speedily fatal to them. 
Fatal Viper. (PL 53.) The head of this animal 
is short and round; the mouth large and wide, armed 
with four curvated teeth, two in each jaw; the eyes dart- 
ing fire; and its bite inflicting cruel and inevitable death. 
It has also the faculty of erecting its scales at pleasure, 
or when irritated, and of closing them again with a rat- 
tling noise. A border of silver-white scales surrounds 
the mouth; the tongue is fleshy and forked, which the 
creature can protrude to a great length w hen offended; at 
which time it also shews its teeth in a menacing posture, 
like a snarling dog, and thus it can shew or conceal its 
fangs at pleasure. The scales on the upper part of the 
body are elegantly speckled with pale yellow, cinerous 
gray, black, brown and white; glistening most superbly 
in the sun. It is found in South America, and in the 
island of Ceylon; it will attack man or beast with great 
fury, erecting its crest and darting forward with singu- 
lar rapidity and courage. The male is deeper coloured 
