COLUBER. 
79S 
cilial purpofes. In the regular fpecies the body is of a 
Alining cinereous grey, (which perhaps is peculiar to the 
male,) with fpots of a bright black; a fillet, in fome, 
runs down the middle of the back, broad, black, or 
brown and black, fo’metijnes red and black ; a lateral line, 
in fome varieties, occurs on each fide ; the head is round; 
the body rather flat, but refembling the buccatus. The 
number of fcuta and fquamse vary, as Linnaeus gives three 
different numbers, viz. 14.6 abdominal fcuta, 39 fub- 
caudal fquamse; making 185. In another, 14.8 abdomi¬ 
nal, and 42 fub-caudal; making 190. And in another 
variety, 177 abdominal, and 68 fub-caudal ; making 24s. 
To this fpecies belongs the Englifh viper or adder, 
which is aifo found in Ireland, and fwarms in the He¬ 
brides of Scotland. The ground colour of the Britifh 
fpecies inclines to a reddifh yellow, marked on the back 
with-a feries of rhomboidal black fpots, touching each 
other at the points ; and on the Tides with triangular 
ones, difpofed in a limilar m'anner. We have alfo a va¬ 
riety entirely black; but in which the rhomboidal fpots 
are Hill very confpicuous, being of a deeper and more 
fliining black than the reft of the body. The tongue is 
forked, the teeth final 1, and the canine teeth or fangs are 
two on each fide in the upper jaw. They prey on frogs, 
toads, lizards, mice, birds, and even on the mole, which 
they often dete& under ground. This reptile is capable 
of lupporting very long abstinence ; for fome have been 
kept in a box full fix months without food, and yet did 
not abate of their vivacity. In a flate of liberty they 
only feed afmali part of the year, and that in the warmelt 
and dryeftfeafons. Under confinement they will touch 
no food; for if field-mice, their molt favourite diet, be 
put into their box, they will inftantly feize, and kill 
them; but they never are Teen to feed upon or touch 
them after. The violence of their poifon is faid to de- 
creafe in proportion to the length of their confinement, 
as does alio the virtue of their flelh, whatever it be. When 
at liberty, it remains torpid throughout the winter; but 
under confinement, it has never been known to take this 
periodical repofe. The flelh of the Englilh viper, as well 
as its decodtion and oil, has been deemed a powerful re- 
Iforative to broken and debilitated conllitutions. Its 
poifon, when communicated to the blood by a wound, 
produces dreadful effefls; though it does not endanger 
life. If a viper bites itfelf or another viper, they die as 
fpeedily as any other animal which hath been bitten by 
them. The famed cure, when the viper’s poilon is re¬ 
ceived by a wound, is immediately to rub the fat of vi¬ 
pers into the wounded part, and the patient mult takd’as 
much vinegar in all he drinks for fome time after the ac¬ 
cident, as is at lead agreeable to the palate. As a medi¬ 
cine, the flelh of vipers does not appear to excel that of 
eels. Notwithftanding the opinion of Dr. Mead, on the 
efficacy of this reptile as a nutrient, Dr. Cullen does not 
allow it to have any peculiar powers as an aliment, nor 
does he admit that there is the flighted foundation for 
allowing them as a medicine. He coniiders fuch a fup- 
pofition of their virtues exiding in any uncommon de¬ 
gree, as a mark, among many others, of the weaknefs 
and folly of the ancients, and equally of their prefent 
followers. 
31. Coluber leucomelas, or white and black viper. 
This is defcribcd by Dr. Gnreiin as a white coluber with 
black fpots : and having 135 abdominal fcuta, and 48 
fub-caudal fquamse; in all 183. 
32. Coluber cherfea, the lolitary viper ; of a ferrugi¬ 
nous alh-colour. It is found in Sweden, particularly in 
the thick nut-groves and Ihrubberies of Smaland, Scania, 
and Upland ; likewife in the fOrefts of Pomerania. It 
much refembles the berus, but is more deadly, unlefs the 
part which is bitten be immediately cut out; its length 
is only nine inches and a half; the colour a dull red, 
with a fillet on the back, broad, and red ; the head is 
rounds and the body taper. The abdominal fcuta are 
150, and the fub-caudal fquama: 34; making 184. Some¬ 
times the abdominal fcuta are only 140, and the fub-cau¬ 
dal fquamse 39, reducing the whole number to 179. 
33. Coluber Scytha, the Scythian viper; a native of the- 
woods in the mountainous parts of Siberia, particularly 
the more northward. The poifon of this viper, according 
to Dr. Pallas, poffefies but a fmall degree of venom. Ic 
is about the thicknefs of a man’s finger, and rather more 
than a foot and a half long, the upper part very black 
and opake, the under part hnooth and white ; the head 
marked with lines, the tail about an inch long : abdominal 
fcuta 153, fub-caudal fquamse 31 ; in all 184. 
34. Coluber prefter, the fever-cauiing viper. The black. 
Englilh viper, according to fome authors, is a variety of 
this fpecies, found in the northern parts of Afia and Eu¬ 
rope, even as far as Auftria. The body is entirely black, 
without a Angle foot; the fcale'a are lanceolate, with the 
points placed longitudinally ; the lips varigated with 
black and white (pecks. The poifon of this creature in¬ 
duces a violent fever and infatiable thirft. Glive oil, 
poured hot upon the part aflefted, is efteemed an anti¬ 
dote. The abdominal fcuta 152, the fub-caudal fquamse 
32, together amounting to 184. In the Aland of Ceylon 
this viper is ranked among the moft deadly : it there 
grows very large and extremely venomous. 
35. Coluber Rhedi, the viper of Rhedi. The head is 
imbricated with the fmalleft imaginable fcales, the body- 
decorated with (hort alternate tranfverfe ftriae, arranged 
in a quadruple longitudinal row, the intermediate ones 
uniting towards the head. It is a native of the Auilrian 
and Italian coalts, and is fold for medical ufes in the 
Ihops of Naples. The bite is often fatal. A folution of 
gum in mercury in a deco&ion of bitter wort, is admi- 
niftered in tbofe countries to perfons bitten. It is doubt¬ 
ful whether it is a lpecies different from the berus ; the 
under part, particularly of the head and tip of the tail, 
are red; and it has a wart on the nofe. The abdominal 
fcuta 152, the fub-caudal fquamse 33 ; making 185. 
36. Coluber cobra, or cobra viper; a fpecies entirely 
brown, compreTTed, the back carinated,or keel-fliaped ; 
the head is long and lomewhat taper. It is a fpecies be¬ 
tween the clotho and rhedi. 
37. Coluber maculatus, or fpotted viper. The ground * 
colour is grey, with brown fpots at the edge, and pale 
yellow in the middle ; relembling the coluber rhedi, ex¬ 
cept that the head is compreffed, white on the fides. grey 
on the top, a brownifh line running parallel on each fide 
before the noftrils, which are rather prominent; two tri¬ 
angular Ipots at the back of the head, and thofe on the 
back elliptic, in a triple row, of which the middle one is 
the lai gefi. 
38. Coluber glaucus, or fea-green viper; of a whitifli 
fea green colour, (haded with large fpots on each fide, a 
white band behind each eye, fenuginous at the nape of 
the neck; a native of the ifland of Martinico, much re- 
fembling.the coluber rhedi; the band over the eyes is ter¬ 
minated with a little white line above, and a black one 
below. 
39. Coluber Maderenfis, or viper of Madras; ftriped 
with pale yellow lines, with lead-coloured quartering^ ; 
found in the country from whence it takes its name. 
40. Coluber bitis, the viper bitis; a native of Brafil. 
The head is oblong, with a wide mouth, and it is remark¬ 
able for having very broad cheek bones. Serpents of this 
fpecies are difiinguiflied by a. wide mouth, and expanded 
noftrils, that they may fcent things very diftant from 
them. The head of this fpecimen in particular, from 
which Seba made his drawing, is moft beautifully colour¬ 
ed; it is equally remarkable from its immenfe eyes, and 
from the mouth being ornamented with a deep broad 
fringe. The neck and tail are long and flender. It is 
covered with very fmall fcales of a pale yellow and ci- 
nerous, variegated with white and a reddifh brown; the 
fcuta are of a very pale yellow, fhaded with a little brown; 
near 
