Sehpents. REPTILES. Viperine Serpents. 
48 
anger, and the erected tooth struck into it, and with- 
drawn with the velocity of thought. The action, how- 
ever, by wliich it takes its prey is very difl'erent from 
that whicli it emploj's in its defensive attack, and 
resembles that employed bj' the harmless snakes. It 
seizes its prey at once, and immediately begins to 
swallow it. In winter the Viper seeks some safe and 
secret place where it passes the cold weather in a state 
of torpidity, and in this retreat — holes made by field- 
mice, &c. — we may often see several twined together. 
The Viper is ovoviviparous ; that is, the moment the 
mother expels the egg, the membrane investing it 
bursts, and the young serpent immediately crawls 
about and assumes all the activity and virulence 
which distinguish the species, throwing itself into 
an attitude of defence if molested, and hissing with 
anger. The number of young produced at each birth 
varies from twelve to twenty, or even more. We 
have already said, that the bite of the Viper seldom 
or never proves fatal in this country. “ We are not 
aware,” says Mr. Broderip, “ of any well authenticated 
case of a person bitten by a Viper terminating fatally 
and to this fact, more than to the remedies used, is 
perhaps to be attributed the exemption from evil con- 
sequences of the old viper-catchers who, in Dr. Mead’s 
time, used to parade their experiments and vaunt the 
efficacy of their infallible cure. In the presence of this 
physician some of these men, confident of their remedy, 
suffered themselves to be bitten by active-ffioking 
vipers. The method of cure consisted in rubbing the 
wound with olive oil over a chafing-dish of coals, and 
taking large closes internally. Formerly the fiesh of 
vipers was considered to possess wonderful virtues in 
the cure of disease, and the belief in the efficacy, as an 
invigorating restorative, of “ viper broth,” lingers still 
in many parts. “ Sir Kenelm Digby’s beautiful wife 
was fed on capons fattened with the fiesh of vipers.” 
THE ASP OF LIlfN^lUS {Vipera aspis), another 
European viper, is considered by many naturalists as 
merely a variety of the common viper. It is, however, 
a distinct species, and the mistake has arisen from the 
fact, that in France the common viper is not suffi- 
ciently well known, and thus some varieties of the asp, 
which is the more common of the two species in the 
southern parts of that country, have been mistaken for 
it. It differs, hovvever, in being of a thinner shape, 
in the head being broader, the crown being covered 
with small smooth scales, and the nose being some- 
what elevated and recurved. The general colour is 
olive, and it has along the back four rows of dark, 
generally isolated spots, the two rows along the spine 
being c.lose together, and sometimes running one into 
the other. The asp is very common throughout all 
France from 49° of N. lat. to Savoy, the Pyrenees, 
and the coast of the Mediterranean. It abounds at 
Fontainbleau and in the woods of Montmorency; but 
towards the north of France, and in Burgundy, it is 
replaced by the common viper. It is found also in 
the dry rocky countries of Italy, has been observed in 
Switzerland, and extends from that as far as Venice. 
The habits of the asp are much the same as those of 
the common viper. This species must not be con- 
founded with the asp of Cleopatra, which is a species 
of Naja, see p. 65. 
THE AMMODYTE {Vipera ammodytes), the “Sand- 
natter ” of the Germans, is the third species of Euro- 
pean vipers. Though similar in colour and general 
appearance to the other species mentioned above, it 
nevertheless varies in several res])ects. Its body is 
very thick in the middle, narrowing towards either 
extremity, especially the hinder, and terminating in a 
very short and slender tail. The principal character- 
istic mark, however, and one which separates it from 
the others, is the tip of the muzzle being elongated 
into a conical, fleshy nose, elevated perpendicularly. 
This orgafi is covered in front with two pairs of small 
plates, and behind by several small scales. The pre- 
vailing colour, like that of the two preceding vipers, 
is an olive, the back being marked with a broad streak 
of brownish- black, of an angular or zig-zag appear- 
ance. The under surface is pale, and the sides are 
closely, darkly pnnctulated. The tip of the tail is 
most frequently of a fine red hue. The Ammodyte 
attains to a large size. Schlegol mentions an indivi- 
dual being as thick in circumference as a child’s arm. 
It inhabits Dalmatia and Illyria. Carinthia and Hun- 
gary possess it ; but it is doubtful whether it occurs 
at all in France, though it has lately been discovered 
in Sicily and in the Morea. Its habits are much the 
same as those of our common viper, and its places 
of abode are dry, rocky, or sandy countries, open or 
covered with a sparse vegetation. M. Cantraine in- 
forms us that he very often met with it in Dalmatia in 
the course of his rambles, and that it is so common in 
certain places, that people are obliged, when walking 
out, to wear thick boots to protect themselves from its 
bite. When it bites it raises its head and draws it 
backwards, previous to inflicting the stroke. Though 
naturally of an indolent disposition, it becomes more 
lively and active during the hot weather of summer. 
The Ammodyte, according to the testimony of M. 
Host, appears to he a nocturnal species of serpent, 
and commits great havoc amongst field-mice, small 
birds, and many lizards. It falls a prey itself, however, 
to one of that tribe of animals. The Scheltopusik 
{Pseudopus Pallasii) is one of its most redoubtable 
and bloody enemies Shielded by its cuirass of tile- 
like, hard scales, it is proof against the fangs of the 
viper, attacks it with impunity, and devours it at 
leisure. 
