SNAKES 
195 
behind which is a somewhat broader black collar, 
which is produced forwards and sub-divides the 
yellow one in the centre of the upper-surface. 
In the variety of the ringed snake indigenous 
to the South of Europe the collar-like markings 
may be altogether absent, or reduced to a small 
black patch on each side of the nape of the 
neck. The maximum length of the ringed snake 
is some 6^ feet. It is a most expert swimmer, 
moving swiftly through the water with lateral 
undulations of its body, and carrying its head 
and neck well above the surface. Frogs con- 
stitute its favourite diet, but it will also capture 
and devour fish, mice, and young birds. 
The ViPERiNE and Tesselated Snakes, 
both European forms, as also the Garter- and 
Mocassin-snakes of North America, are all 
closely allied in structure and habits to the familiar 
ringed species. The second British species, known 
as the Smooth Snake, belongs to the same 
group, but is more terrestrial in its habits ; while 
comparatively rare in England, and limited to t n<,io by Hcnr, mxon sm] \_Aibam street, n. iv. 
the southern counties, it is plentiful on the COBRA (BACK VIEW) 
Continent. The Indian Rat-snake, which is p, . , , ,, , , i r , l , l 
ohowtng the remarkable pattern on the back oj the neck^ ’which has 
almost as useful as the domestic cat in ridding given rise to the name of Spectacled Snake 
dwellings of rats and mice, is another repre- 
sentative of the solid-toothed group. This group also includes the so-called Pigmy Snakes, 
inhabiting the Malay region, whose habits are mainly arboreal. They are the most diminutive 
members of their order, some of the thirty known species not exceeding i foot in length. 
The typical Tree-SNAKES of the Indian and Australian region, with large eyes, somewhat 
compressed bodies, and 
colours of green or olive, 
in harmonious accord with 
their arboreal surround- 
ings, also belong to the 
solid-toothed and harmless 
section. An especially 
interesting representative 
of this group is the so- 
called Egg-eating Snake 
of South Africa. It does 
not exceed 2 feet in 
length, and is for the most 
part arboreal in its habits, 
and, as its name implies, 
would appear to feed ex- 
clusively on eggs. As a 
structural adaptation for 
this peculiar habit, the 
spinous processes of a 
number of the vertebrae 
project into the throat 
Photo by IV. Saville-Kent, F.Z.S ] [Milford-on-Seit 
QUEENSLAND SEA-SNAKE 
Sea-snakes have compressed tails, ivhtch they use for steering 
