SNAKE. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Body covered with scales ; those under the tail alternate. 
VIPER. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Coluber Berus. C. cinereus, macula capitis biloba, vitta dor- 
sali atra dentato-repanda. 
Cinereous Viper, with a bilobated spot on the 
head, and a black flexuous or zigzag band 
down the back. Shaw Gen. Zool. 3. p. 365. 
pi. 101. 
Coluber Berus, scutis abdom. 146, squamis 
caudae 39. Faun. Suec. no. 286. 
Common Viper. Penn. Brit. Zool. 3. p. 2 6. no. 12. pi. 4. 
La Cepede Ovip. Quadr. &c. 3. p. 175. 
pi. 1. fig. 1. 
We ought to be very thankful that, while the tro- 
pical countries abound with venomous serpents 
whose bite is almost certain death, there is only 
one animal in Great Britain from whose poison we 
have any thing to fear. The viper is found in many 
parts of this island, particularly in chalky countries, 
where they are sometimes seen in considerable 
