Eattlksnaices. REPTILKS. The Jarauaca. 
blackish, ami baTuled. Otliers are spotted with brown, 
3 'ellow, and black. The body is elongate, cylindrical, 
and the tail conical and slender, and terminated by a 
claw. The head is larger in dimensions than the body, 
broad and flattened on .the upper part, and nearly tri- 
angular, in consequence of the lateral projection of the 
jaws at the point of junction, giving a general resem- 
blance to the head of a lance — whence its name. For 
one of the fullest and most interesting accounts of this 
serpent (though perhaps a little exaggerated), we are 
indebted to M. Moreau de Jonnds, who lived some time 
in Martinique, where it abounds. It is said to be con- 
fined to the islands of Martinique, St. Lucia, and Becouia, 
a small island near St Vincent; but we now know that 
it is also a native of Brazil, Demerara, and other parts 
of the continent of America. The natives of Martinique 
have a tradition that it was first introduced into their 
island bj' the Arrouages Indians, a tribe which in- 
habited the country near the mouth of the Orinoco. 
However this may be, the Lance-head is the most 
abundant of all serpents in the islands of Marti- 
nique and St. Lucia at the present day, notwith- 
standing various means have been tried to extirpate 
them. The number of young produced by this reptile 
at one birth is immense. Moreau de Jonnes seldom 
found fewer than from fifty to sixty young ones in such 
females as he had opportunities of opening. At the 
moment of birth these young are complete!}' formed, 
are very nimble, ready to bite if irritated, and from six 
to eight inches long. These creatures, at the time of 
M. Moreau de Jonnes’ visit to Martinique, were so 
abundant, that, as he says himself, they peopled the 
marshes, the tilled grounds, the forests, the borders of 
rivers, and the mountains, from the level of the sea to 
the region of the clouds. He has seen them creeping 
in the mud, struggling against the currents of rushing 
streams which would otherwise hurry them out to sea, 
and balancing themselves on the branches of forest- 
trees more than one hundred feet above the ground. 
He has met with them on the edge of the crater of the 
naked mountain which overhangs the town of St. Pierre, 
at a height of more than five thousand feet above the 
sea. They do not appear to shun inhabited places, 
bnt are often found in houses, especially in country 
districts, where the huts of the negroes (for they seem 
to prefer them) are surrounded by bushes and high 
grass, Their principal haunts, however, are the plan- 
tations of sugar-cane. Concealing themselves under 
the debris of the long leaves of these plants with which 
the earth is strewn, they carry on a constant war against 
lizards, small birds, and rats. This latter animal forms 
the chief part of their food. Originally introduced by 
Europeans, this little creature has multiplied amazingly. 
Compared with the indigenous smaller mammalia, such 
as the agouti, pilori mouse, marmot, &c., the rats 
now count ten thousand to one. The Lance-head is 
remarkably active and lively in its motions, and is said 
by the author quoted above to attack passengers who 
may happen to encounter them. He says he never 
found this reptile stationary, but when it was in an 
attitude of offence. It coils itself up in four circles of 
equal diameter, placed one above the other, under the 
last of which is placed the tail, as if on a pivot. The 
Von. II. 6a 
41 
head, which terminates the upper extremity of the coil, 
is a little raised and drawn backwards. It then throws 
itself with the rapidity of an arrow upon its victim ; 
and were we to believe the accounts given by some of 
the residents, it can spring to a considerable distance. 
In the proceedings of the Zoological Society for 1849 
Lieutenant Tyler, R.E., gives a similar account of a 
species of Lance-head, which infests the island of St. 
Lucia. 
THE EAT-TAIL is the name by which it is known to 
the inhabitants. In this communication the Rat-tail 
is described under the name of Craspedocpplialus 
atrox, but in size and shape it appeals to differ very 
little from the preceding species. The name of Rat- 
tail is given to it, because the tail, instead of gently 
tapering from the body, becomes suddenly small, “ and 
is much like that of a rat.” It is not very rapid in its 
movements, and when not in motion, is almost invari- 
ably coiled up in a circle, with its head on the top. 
Like the rest of the group, the Rat-tail is viviparous, 
and the natives of St. Lucia say, that the mother after 
jiroducing her young, leaves them for a short time, and 
that she devours those which she finds in the same spot 
on her return. Lieutenant Tyler, however, considers 
this to be a mistake, and that if individuals have been 
found with young ones in her stomach, this is most 
probably from the fact that in cases of danger the 
female opens her mouth, and the young for protection 
rush into it, and may find their way even into the 
stomach. “ An important point in the history of this 
serpent,” says Mr. Tyler, “ is the method of treating 
its venomous bites. If the wounds caused by these be 
not at once attended to, the most fatal consequences 
ensue, and within a short space of time. Should the 
fang penetrate any large bloodvessel, and inject there- 
in any of the poisonous matter, I suppose that no 
remedy would be of avail ; but under ordinary circum- 
stances, if the wound can be at once laid open, a liga- 
ture tied between it and the heart, and sucked, then 
rubbed with a mixture of lime-juice, rum, and salt, and 
intoxication and sleep produced by administering rum 
punch with plenty of lime-juice in it to the patient, 
there is little danger of loss of life ; as is proved by the 
fact, that out of thirty soldiers treated in this way some 
time since in this island only one died. The person 
sucking the wound has nothing to fear, if he has no sore 
in his mouth.” When young, this species of Lance- 
head is distinguished by the tail being white, and has 
been described in that state under the name of the 
White-tailed Lance-head {Craspedocephalus leu- 
curus). It occurs, according to M. Spix, very fre- 
quently in the province of Bahia in Brazil, being found 
under the bark of trees ; and the inhabitants of that 
province are unanimously of opinion that its poison 
yields in nothing to that of the rattlesnake, death 
occasionally taking place some hours after its bite. 
The natives call it Xiraraya Mirim. 
THE JARAEACA {Craspedocephalus hraziliensis) is 
another deadly Lance-head, and is a native of Brazil. 
According to the account given of it by M. Wagler, 
in Spix’s ‘‘ Serpents of Brazil,” this has a more hideous 
aspect than any other serpent in that country. It 
has a large, triangular head, fierce-looking eyes, and a 
