COLUBER. 
not 1 -even -offer to retreat, but laid himfe'lf clofe to the 
cobra, whofe body he often touched in his convolutions, 
without any apparent offence being taken, The cobras 
de capello bite each other without any confequence 
afcribabie to their poifon, even where the fangs vifibly 
aided. Yet the bite of a cobra de capello proved fatal 
to a nooni paragoodoo ferpent, and fo a tar tutta. A co¬ 
bra de capello was bitten twice on the body by a katuka 
rekula poda ferpent; but, though both fangs aired, no 
lymptoms of poifon followed. Why the bite of thefe ani¬ 
mals on each other fometimes proves fatal, and at others 
not, is a problem that yet remains to be folved. 
99. Coluber rufus, the reddilh-brown viper; decorated 
with red and brown equidilfant bands. Like the naja 
it has a perfpicillum, or fpectacle mark, fomewhat chec- 
quered, with four black fpots, not f’een on the cobra de 
capello. It is a native of Bralil, and fometimes called 
the naja Brafiiienfis. Indeed molt naturalifts conilder it as 
a mere variety of the naja ; and, like that reptile, its bite 
in ill ids almold certain death. 
100. Coluber Padera, the P.adera viper; a native of 
South America and India. It is white, with numerous 
double brown fpots on the back, joined together by a 
fmall line, and the fame number Angle, on the lides. It 
lias 198 abdominal fcuta, and 56 fub-caudal fquamse; 
total 254. 
101. Coluber canus, the hoary viper. It Is ornamented 
with large lhining fpots, arranged like the teeth of a law, 
and under each a white fpeck; it is a native of South 
America and India. The roftrum round, obtufe; the 
head imbricated with Idrong fcales, and therefore a fpecies 
between the boa and the coluber. The number of fcuta 
and fquamse vary : as 188 abdominal fcuta, and 70 fub- 
caudal fquamse, making 258; or 300 fcuta, and 64 fqua¬ 
mae ; making 364. 
102. Coluber Getulus, the Getulian viper; a native of 
Getulia m Africa, and of Carolina. Its colour is between 
a black and a bright blue, with lineal yellow ftripes on 
the lides, divided or cloven at the abdomen ; the length 
of the tail about the fifth of an inch. Abdominal fcuta 
215, lub-caudal fquamae 44 ; total 259. 
103. Coluber fibilans, the hiding viper; a native of 
Afia, of a bright blue grey, with black fiilets, the under 
part white; a very elegant and hannlefs fpecies. It has 
160 abdominal fcuta, and 100 fub-caudal fquamae; mak¬ 
ing 260.. 
104. Coluber Dione, the Dione viper; a fpecies fre¬ 
quenting tlie fait marlhes about the Cafpian fea, and alfo 
the dry fait mountainous fpots about the river Irtis. It 
is of a form remarkably elegant, /lender, tripodal; the 
head fmall, quadrangular, generally reticulated with 
brown learns; the roof of the palate quadruple ; the back 
of a plealing light blue, or white, with three whiter lon¬ 
gitudinal ndges with alternate brown llreaks, often mix¬ 
ing with each other; the abdomen white, with fmall 
black, and brown fpots, and often with red fpecks ; the 
tail one-fixth of an inch. It has 190 abdominal fcuta, 
and 66 fub-caudal fquamse, making 156 ; or 206, and 58, 
making 264 
105. Coluber Zeylonicus, the viper of Ceylon. It is 
mottled with large irregular brown fpots, on a white 
ground. It is perfe&iy harmlefs and inoffenlive; and is 
furnilhed with 180 abdominal fcuta, and go fub-caudal 
fquamae, amounting to 260; or 187, and 89, making 276. 
jo6. Coluber laticaudatus, the broad-tailed viper; a 
native of South America, and of India, even as far as 
the lliores of the iliand of Tongataboo. It is cinereous, 
with brown llripes; the tail broad, comprelled, obtufe, 
pointed, armed with a /ling. It has 220 abdominal lcuta, 
and 42 lub-caudal fquamse; total 262. 
1G7. Coluber Sirtalis, the viper Sirtalis; a native of 
Canada, finall, brown, ftriated, with three azure-coloured 
fillets. It has 150 abdominal fcuta, and 114 fub-caudal 
fquamse; making 264. 
108. Coluber atrox, the fierce viper 5 called alfo torrulu 
Vol. IV. No. 240. 
805 
djpfas, and the burning ferpent of Ceylon. It is a furious 
reptile, attacks with uncommon boidnefs either man or 
bealt, and its bite has the efre6l of fcorching fire. Its ve¬ 
nom, fays Mr..Pennant, is lb fubtile, that it inftantly 
vitiates the whole mafs, and death, amid the molt excru¬ 
ciating torture, inevitably follows ! Seba informs us, for 
the comfort of mankind, that it is a fpecies very rarely 
met with, and then only in thofeTot‘fuffocating regions 
where man can fcafcely breathe. It inhabits the burn¬ 
ing Lands of the Afiatic and African deferts, and is found, 
with the enormous and frightful boa, in the interior parts 
of Ceyion. The figure we have engraved of this viper, was 
taken from the living fubjecl by Aibertus Seba. He fays it 
is a female, which are generally the fierce!!. It is of a great 
length ; the head is large, broad, comprelled, and Itrongly 
mailed with clol'e-fet lamina; the eyes are prominent, 
the pupil large and lucid, furrounded with a fiery red 
iris ; the face is of a light chefnut brown, terminated by 
a patch of white on the hind head, with a row of four 
bi ovvn fpots down the middle. The whole body is cari- 
nated or keel-lhaped, being comprefled laterally from 
head to tail, whence fome have called it the taenia or tape 
ferpent. The back is defended by a fucce'mon of convex 
fcuta, placed like tiles on the ridge of a houle. The 
ground colour of the whole body is a ferruginous brown, 
darkelt towards the tail, and decorated on the fides with 
lighter brown broad belts, narrowing towards the abdo¬ 
men, where they are terminated with white fpots. The 
abdominal fcuta are 196, the fub-caudal fquamae 69, mak¬ 
ing together 265. The male is faid to relemble the fe¬ 
male in all refpefts, except that its head is covered with 
very beautiful red and bright brown laminse, refembling 
the fineft marble. The Rev. Edw'ard Terry faw a crimi¬ 
nal put to death at Ameedabad, in Hindooltan, by in- 
flifting upon him the bite of one of thefe vipers. The 
deleterious effefit of their venom is always moll violent 
when they are recently taken. As they inhabit only hot, 
dry, fandy, and rocky, places, and live on toads, efts, 
and infefils, full of faline and acrimonious particles, the 
virus mull then be naturally found in its molt poifon- 
ous Hate. 
109. Coluber Sibon, the viper of Sibon; a native of 
Africa, of a ferruginous brown intermixed with white; 
the under part white fpotted with brown ; the head like- 
wife white. It has 180 abdominal fcuta, 85 fub-caudal 
fquamae; total 265. 
110. Coluber nebulatus, the clouded viper; a native of 
America, entwining itfelf round people’s legs; but it is 
perfeftly harmlefs. It is generally about two feet five 
inches long, clouded or fnaded with brown and grey, the 
under part variegated with brown and white. Abdomi¬ 
nal fcuta 185, fub-caudal fquamte 88 ; making 273. 
111. Coluber fufcus, the brown viper; a natiyeof Alia, 
about four feet long, of a cinereous brown, refembling 
the ahatulla; having an oblong brown lpot behind the 
eyes. Abdominal fcuta 149, fub-caudal fquamte 109, to¬ 
tal 258; or 155, and 109, making 264. 
112. Coluber brunneus, the orange-brown viper. The 
ground colour is orange brown, .with white narrow belts, 
and the abdomen white ; defcribed by Seba as the cobella 
of America. It has 191 abdominal lcuta, a,nd 75 fub- 
caudal fquamte; total 266. 
113. Coluber faturninus, the lead-coloured viper; a 
native of South.America and India, 21 inches and a half 
long, of a livid ground, clouded with lead-coloured grey; 
the head livid, oblong, the rollrum obtufeiy quadrated, 
the eyes remarkably full and large, the body gradually 
tapering to the tail. Abdominal lcuta 147, lub caudal 
fquamae 120, total 267; or 157, and 114, making: 271. 
114. Coluber candidus, the gliitening viper. ;, a native 
of South America and India, of a Ihuiing white, with 
glittering variegated ftripes. It has 22a abdominal lcuta, 
and 50 lub-caudal fquamte; total 270. 
115. Coluber niveus, the fnow-white viper; a Large 
fpecies, and very poil’onous. It is a native of Africa, 
9 T entirely 
