COLUBER. Soi 
points with the preceding; but Tome variation may be re¬ 
marked in the form of tiie laminae of the head : in the 
prefent l'ubjeil the anterior pair are more exactly triangu¬ 
lar, and the polterior truncate ; but both (pecimens have 
carinated fcajes, and are deltitute of poifon organs. The 
principal diltinftibn confdts in the colour, and tnat might 
perhaps have 1'uffered fome alteration from the fpiiits. 
The prevalent colour dark, with a greenifh calt. From 
the neck to the tail on each fide runs a yellowifh-brown 
fillet; and the neck, as well as the anterior half of the 
back, have between- thefe fillets a number of crofs black 
bands, which are continued on the fides, without inter¬ 
fering the fillets. The fcuta were of a dufky yellow, 
changed perhaps by the fpirits. Theabove memorandum 
was taken at the time. 
69. Coluber vittatus, the filleted viper; a native of 
South America and Africa; found alfo in the ifl.ind of 
Ceylon. It is defcribed by Linnseus as a coluber of a red- 
dif'h brown colour, with irregular black fpots on the crown 
of the head, encircled and mixed with lines of white. 
From the liindhead proceeds a double white hand, which 
ftretches the whole length of the body, ending in a dou¬ 
ble white fillet on the tail; the abdominal fcuta are white 
edged with brown, and the fub caudal fquainae are brown 
edged with white: a white cordated fillet alfo runs along 
the fides, dividing the abdomen from the back. It is a 
very beautiful and rare fpeeies, of a delicate {lender make 
and very long ;■ abdominal fcuta 142, lub-caudal Jquamae 
78 ; in all 220. 
Seba defcribes a male and female of this fpeeies, in a 
ftate of dalliance preparatory to l'exual contaft; the mode 
of which he took great pains to inveftigate. He deli¬ 
neates the male as the largelt of the two ; its back refem- 
bling a piece of ftriped fuk on a crimfon ground, crofted 
and worked with edgings of a delicate white : the fcuta 
of the abdomen partaking of a white pearly hue, with 
broad crimfon tranfverl'e Itripes at equal diflances : the 
laminae of the head broad, deep red, tinged with flcy-co- 
lour and white : the eyes are vertical, and of a tranfparent 
blue ; on the nofe it has the mark of a ftnall crols, not, 
very ftrongly defined : the tail is rather fhort, and obtufe. 
Near the tail are leen its teliicfis, of a vaft fize for fucb 
a creature, and defended by {harp, hard, prickly feales. 
The female very much relenvbles the male, except that 
inftead of crimfon fhe is of a lighter red, and the tail long 
and tapering. She is laid to court the male in a thoufand 
undulating folds and pollutes, and to exhibit the molt 
altonifhing fymptoms of lafcivioufnefs. For the mode 
and manner of the propagation of vipers, fee the article 
Serpentes. 
70. Coluber miliaris, the millet-fpotted viper; a native 
of South America and India, the under part is white, the 
upper brown; the icales marked all over with minute 
fpots like millet feed. It has 162 abdominal fcuta and 59 
fub-caudal fquamae; total 221. 
71. Coluber fiEfculapii, or viper of iEftulapius; a na¬ 
tive of South America and India, in form and appear¬ 
ance refembling the natrix; about nineteen inches in 
length,.with black and white fpots and Itripes, divided 
by a line or white belt; the upper part brown, the under 
white; the head broad, with a double black ftripe; the 
body fmaller than the head ; the tail tapering, witli the 
tip obtufe. The fcuta and f'quamse vary extremely in this 
fpeeies; the ufual number is, abdominal fcuta 180, fub- 
caudal fquamae 43 ; in all 223. 
72. Coluber bipes, or two-footed viper, found in the rivers 
of the country of Tyrol, feeding upon frogs anil fifii, a 
biped, having yellow eyes, the lower jaw white, the dor- 
fal feales eiliptically edged, the lateral lpotted with white; 
the fcuta of the abdomen white, marked with a brown 
fpot in the middle. 116 abdominal leuta, 58 lub-caudal 
Iquamte ; in ail 174. 
73. Coluber rhombeatus, or rhombeated viper; a na¬ 
tive of S^uth America and India; azure, with a triple 
longitudinal row of fiib-rhomboid.d lpots, blue in the 
middle, like the plicatilis: the fcuta and iquamte vary 
Vox,., IV, No, 239, 
alfo in this coluber. They are ufually, abdominal 157, 
luo-caudai 70; in all 227. 
74. Coluber cyaneus, or bright blue viper; a native of 
America, and of a deep blue colour. The under part is 
green, witn 1 1 9 abdominal fcuta, and no fub-caudal lqua- 
ma--'; making 229. 
75. Coluoer natrix, or water-viper. Of this fpeeies 
there are many varieties; and, from its being fo gene¬ 
rally known, we meet with many defcriptions; the molt' 
accurate ot which are thefe, viz. 1. A unicoloured viper, 
with a pale yellow ring round the neck, marked with a 
black triangular f'pot. 2. A natrix of a remarkable length, 
of a bhckilh brown colour, with a few pale yellow fpecks ; 
the under part cinereous. 3. The natrix'Gernonenfisj with 
the nead variegated before, a fhort black ftripe between 
the eyes, and a very long one at the back of the head; 
two large ipots at the nape of the ne.ck, which are imme¬ 
diately iucceeded by fome fmaller, arranged in rows all 
along the back ; pale yellow in the middle, and of a dirty 
white at the extremity. 4. A water-ferpent, with a beau¬ 
tiful flame colour round the head and eyes, and under the 
throat; the back is fea-green lpotted with black, the 
lides blue, the abdomen bluifh black; a native of Ger¬ 
many, and a very elegant variety. 5. An azure water- 
viper, with black fpecks, and undulating tranfverfe lines. 
An azure natiix, with a little white band on each Tide, 
interfperfed with black fpots, the carinae white, as well as 
the abdomen, with a black fpot on each fide. There are 
likewife the natrix vulgaris, and the natrix torquata, 
found in hedge-rows, and lometimes in houfe-s and ftables, 
in many parts of Europe. Thefe are harmlefs, delighting 
in fun and warmth, and bringing forth eggs in. dung- 
lulls and under old decayed trees, glued together by-flime 
into large heaps. It migrates towards autumn from the 
loath ot Pannonia, beyond Savoy, into Turkey, and re¬ 
turns towards thefpring; the general length is three feet 
nine inches, but fome are a great deal longer: the upper 
part of the body of a finning black, with a white fpot 
on each fide the neck; the back fub-carinated, the feales 
are moltly of a round and oblong form, the middle cari¬ 
nated and arranged in nineteen rows'; the under part 
white in general, but fometimes inclining to yellow cr 
red, with a longitudinal, irregular, broadilh, black, ftripe 
in the nfiddie, beginning at the fifteenth fcuta; the tail 
entirely biack, the nofe acute. Abdominal fcuta 170, 
fub-caudal lquamse 60 ; total 230: but thefe differ greatly 
in different iubircts. This viper, and ail its varieties, are 
very dexterous in catching fiib. In fummer great num¬ 
bers are leen lying on the branches of trees which hang 
over rivers. They lie in wait in this manner to furprile 
either birds or fifh : after the latter they plunge with fur- 
prifing dexterity, and catch many of a large fize, which 
they bring to land and fwallow whole. 
76. Coluber Gronovianus, the viper of Gronovius; the 
colour of a cinereous bluifh brown, the under part inclining 
to black; a white-pointed lpot on each fide the back of 
the head, tipped with black; the back is fliaded with 
black, very nearly refembling the natrix. 
77. Coluber lubricus, the flippery viper; the ground 
colour is a bright fliining white, with fmoot'h black belts ; 
a native of -Surinam, in South America, and of Africa ; 
lomewhat refembling the natrix; 
78. Coluber humanus,- the humane viper; the ground 
is- black, lpotted with white; the tail ftriped alternately 
with black and white; a native of Amboyna and Neiv 
Spain. It is a harmlefs inoffenfive fpeeies, and from 
thence takes the name of humanus. 
79. Coluber punftulatus, the punftulated or ftudded vi¬ 
per; it is brown ftudded with very fmall white fpots ; the 
head defended by broad laminae or piates, and flat; the 
back of the cheeks drawn down into a triangular form, the- 
nofe more pointed, the body Jmooth and elegant, rather 
narrow at the back of the head, thickeft in the middle; 
the tail conical, long, and taper. This coluber has aifo 
great affinity with the natrix; and the three la ft fpeeies 
are, by fome naturalilts, all clafled with the natrix, 
9 S So, 
