OF SBHl'ENTS WITHOUT VENOM. 
25f) 
Coral Serpent, which is red, and whose bite is said to be 
fatal. But the Cobra di Capello, or Hooded Serpent, 
indicts the most deadly and incurable wounds. Of this for- 
midable creature there are five or six different kinds ; but 
they are all equally dangerous, and their bite is followed 
by speedy and certain death. It is from three to eight feet 
long, with two large fangs hanging out of the upper jaw. 
It has a broad neck, and a mark of dark brown on the 
forehead ; which, when viewed frontwise, looks like a pair 
of spectacles ; but behind, like the head of a cat. The eyes 
are fierce, and full of fire ; the head is small, and the nose 
flat, though covered with very large scales, of a yellowish 
ash-colour ; the skin is white ; and the large tumour on 
the neck is flat, and covered with oblong, smooth scales. 
Of Serpents without Venom. This class of serpents 
all want that natural mechanism by which the poisonous 
tiibe inflict such deadly wounds: they have no glands in 
the head for preparing venom ; no conduits for conveying 
it to the teeth ; no receptacles there ; no hollow in the in” 
strument that inflicts the wound. Their bite, when the 
teeth happen to be large enough to penetrate the skin, for 
in general they are too small for this purpose, is attended 
with no other symptoms than those of an ordinary puncture; 
anti many of this tribe, as if sensible of their own impotence, 
cannot be provoked to bite, though ever so rudely assaulted! 
Ihey hiss, dart out their forky tongues, erect themselves on 
the tail, and call up all their terrors to intimidate their 
?&e ressors 5 but seem to consider their teeth as unnecessary 
instruments of defence, and never attempt to use them, 
tven among the largest of this kind, the teeth are never 
employed in the most desperate engagements. When a hare 
°r a bird is caught, the teeth may serve to prevent such small 
game from escaping; but, when a buffalo or a tiger is to be 
encountered, it is by the strong folds of the body, by the 
fierce verberations of the tail, that the enemy is destroyed: 
by thus twining round, and drawing the knot with convulsive 
energy, this enormous reptile breaks every bone in the quad- 
r U red’s body, and then at one morsel devours its prey. 
Hence we may distinguish the unvenomous tribe into two 
n:ls: first, into those which are seldom found of any consi- 
r lable magnitude, and that never offend animals larger and 
ni ie powerful than themselves, but which find their chief 
piotection in flight, or in the doubtfulness of their form; se- 
c °ndly, into such as grow to an enormous size, fear no ene- 
m y> but indiscriminately attack all other animals, and devour 
