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The Corn Snake (^Coluber guttatus), Southern States. 
The Mountain Black Snake (^Coluber obsoleius), United 
States. 
The Black Snake {Bascanion constrictor). United States. 
The Whip Snake (^Bascanion flagelliformis'), Southern States. 
The Ribbon Snake (yEutcenia sauritd), Eastern and South- 
ern States. 
The Garter Snake {Eutccnia sirtalis), North America. 
The Water Snake (^Tropidonotus fasciatus), Southern 
States. 
The Water Snake (^Tropidonotus sipedon), Eastern and 
Southern States. 
The Hog-nosed Snake or Spreading Adder {Heterodon 
platyrhinos), United States, east of Mississippi. 
These serpents all belong to what may be termed the Colu- 
brine group. They are perfectly harmless to man, living on 
small birds, quadrupeds, worms, and insects ; several genera 
— Ophibolus and Abastor — eating small snakes of their own 
and other species. 
The Boas are a group of serpents inhabiting the tropical 
zone and attaining the largest size of any known members of 
the order, as the Anaconda and Boa, of South America, and 
the Python and Rock Snake, of Africa and Asia. They are 
possessed of great power and kill their prey by compression ; 
they swallow without difficulty animals which appear larger in 
circumference than themselves, the articulation of their jaws 
and ribs permitting of a great degree of distension. Dr. 
Hartwig, in “The Tropical World,” treats in a most enter- 
taining style of these serpents : — “ The kingly Jiboya {Boa 
constrictoi^ inhabits the dry and sandy localities of the Bra- 
zilian forests, where he generally conceals himself in crevices 
and hollows, in parts but little frequented by man, and some- 
times attains a length of thirty feet. To catch his prey, he 
ascends the trees and lurks hidden in the foliage for the un- 
fortunate agutis, pacas, and capybaras whom their unfortunate 
star may lead within his reach. When full-grown he seizes 
the passing deer ; but in spite of his large size he is but little 
feared by the natives, as a single blow of a cudgel suffices to 
destroy him. Prince Maximilian of Neu Wied tells us that 
the experienced hunter laughs when asked if the Jiboya attacks 
