COLUBER. 807 
filling of large and Hiring laminae of various forms. The 
fides, and the back of the head, are covered with imbri¬ 
cated fcales; the roftrum or nofe acute. Seba mentions 
it as an African ferpent, called Petola; by others as the 
Petola Coronella, having tranl'verfe ftripes oh the back 
and fides. Under the title Coronella, there are eight de- 
fcriptions: 1. The African Coronella,white, with roundilh 
.fpots on the back, gradually rhomboid, and fomewhat red 
at the edge. 2. Coronella ocellata, or Ipeckled, of a (ky- 
blue, with a quadruple longitudinal row of black fpecks, 
blue in the middle. 3. Coronella fafciata, or ltriped, of a 
.cinereous grey, with black and brown ftripes, and two 
broken longitudinal lines. 4. Coronella latiroftra, or 
broad-nofed, of a bright brown, with a few indiftinft 
ftripes, the hole fiat. 5. Coronella latiroftra, with bright 
ftripes meeting nearthe abdomen. 6.Coronella ceralloides, 
-orhorn-like of a light bright brown with faint brown 
fpots, two longitudinal at the back of the head, elliptical 
on the back, arranged in one row. 7. Coronella tsemieta, 
or banded, a brown band down the middle of the back, 
the abdomen and fides of a light clear brown, the edges 
tinged with pale brown. 8.Coronella anguiformis,or fnake- 
like, with entire circular brown ftripes running obliquely 
underneath. Thefe are all beautiful ferpents, and quite 
liarmlefs. It has in general 209 abdominal fcuta, and 90 
fub-caudal fquamas; total 299 : but they vary in dif¬ 
ferent individuals. 
136. Coluber oceliatus, the fpeckled viper ; the ground¬ 
colour is reddiffi, with bright crimfon fpecks : a (hield or 
helmet on the head, of red and yellow laminae. It is a 
native of Ceylon and China, and much refembles the 
pethoia. 
137. Coluber Hitambocia, or viper Hitambocia ; it is 
yellow, with two longitudinal ftripes of a deeper colour. 
The head is red, and defended by ilrong laminae. It is a 
native of India, and like the pethoia. 
138. Coluber tigrinus, the tiger-like viper; entirely 
covered with tawny fpots, and a ftiield on its head of 
the pureft white. It is a native of Amboyna, and much 
refembles the pethoia, called alfo coronella tygrina, by 
Laurentius. It has a ftriking refemblance to the maftiff, 
as well as tiger, the mouth being particularly large, and 
full of (harp teeth; the cheeks are fhort and broad, the 
noftrils very much expanded, and as it were divided into 
two. The lliield on the forehead has a crofs, marked in 
the middle with a round fpot, indented upon a plain, 
large, white, glittering lamina. The whole external ap¬ 
pearance of the body is refplendent with oblong fcales of 
a cinereous yellow, or tan-colour, fringed'at the edges 
with a deep brown, and variegated here and there with 
other fmaller brown fpots, ornamented in a wonderfully 
curious manner. 
139. Coluber cams, the cat-viper; of a colour refem- 
bling a tabby cat. It is a native of America and the 
Indies. This name was firft given by the Portuguefe 
fettlers, becaufe they are fond oflying in wait under the 
walls of their houfes to catch rats, mice, dor-mice, li¬ 
zards, &c. performing the office of our cats ; and as they 
are entirely liarmlefs, they are on that account fuffered to 
remain unrnolefted. They are covered with very beau¬ 
tiful fcales, four or five of which form plots or fquares^ 
the azure fpots which mark the fpaces have a very ele¬ 
gant effect. The lower part of the tail is fpotted; two 
rough tefticles are feen near the hiatus ani, which are 
often obferved at certain feafons. It is likewife called 
Jalieboebot, taking its name from a certain kind of root 
which creeps along the ground like the folds of a ferpent, 
and extends itfelf to the fize of a man’s arm in half an 
hour. This root being very full of fibres, and tenacious, 
fiflfing-nets are made from it in America. 
140. Coluber cervinus, the deer-coloured viper; white, 
fpotted with black in the middle, and ftreaked with black 
and white at each end. It is a native of America, and 
much like the pethoia. 
141. Coluber Virginicus, the Virginian viper. The 
ground colour is blown, with yellow ftripes, the fore¬ 
head armed with a Afield ; a native of Virginia in North 
America. 
142. Coluber .ruber, the ruddy viper ; the under part 
white, the upper of a very full deep red, with fpots alter¬ 
nately uniting; a native of America/and marked.like 
the pethoia. 
143. Coluber Auftriacus, the Auftrian viper; of a red 
and cinereous Iky-colour with alternate diftindl fpots on 
the back, the forehead armed with a Afield; found in 
great abundance about Vienna, very fimilar to the pethoia. 
144. Coluber teffelatus, the teflelated viper ;- the upper 
part teflelated with black and brown alternately; the 
under part black only ; the head is rather long, and armed 
with a Afield in the front, with unequal white lines on. 
each fide : a native of Japidia. It has great affinity, with 
the pethoia: called alio the coronella teflfelata. 
145. Coluber seilivus, the fummer-loving viper ; a na¬ 
tive of Carolina, remarkably finooth and filming; the 
upper part of a Iky-blue colour, with black ftrite ; the 
under of a pale grey. It has 155 abdominal fcuta, 144 
fub-caudal fquamas ; total 299. 
146. Coluber Cahirinus, the viper of Cairo ; a native 
of Egypt, and particularly round Cairo. It is about the 
thicknefs of a man’s thumb, four feet and a half in length, 
very (lender, the upper part grey, with large brown oval 
fpots on the back, and final 1 fquare ones at the edges on 
the fides; the under part entirely of afilky whitenefs, re- 
fembling the Tyria : the head is rather fmooth, fome- 
what chordated, the crown mailed with two pale oblong 
lamina;, much longer than the others. It has 230 abdo¬ 
minal fcuta, and 82 fub-caudal fquamas; total 312. 
147. Coluber flavefcens, the bright yellow viper; a na¬ 
tive of the Tyrolefe, tripedal, covered with elliptical fcales, 
brown, the under part of a bright yellow. It has 225 
abdominal fcuta, and 78 fub-caudal fquamas ; making 303. 
148. Coluber molurus, the locuft viper; a native of 
South America and India, very nearly refembjingthe boa ; 
but the fcuta, the fquamas, and the (hape of the head, are 
like the coluber genus. It has 248 abdominal fcuta, 59 
fub-caudal fquamas ; total 307. 
149. Coluber Schokari, the viper Schokari; a native of 
Arabia, particularly of the mountainous woods about 
Yemen ; it is only half a cubit long, and the thicknefs of 
a man’s finger. The upper part of a cinereous brown, a 
double white longitudinal fillet on each fide, and a fmall 
fillet in the middle of the back, formed by white fpots; 
the under part of a 'clear white, inclining to yellow to¬ 
wards the throat, fpotted with brown ; the head oval ob- 
tufe ; the crown fmooth, with large laminae ; the tail about 
as long as half the body. It has 180 abdomidal fcuta, 
and 114 fub-caudal fquamas, in all 294; or 183 and 144, 
making 327. 
150. Coluber Baetaen, the viper Baetaen, fpotted with, 
black and white ; a native of Arabia ; only a foot long, 
and about two inches thick ; yet the bite is rank poifon, 
and produces inftant death, caufing a general fwelling of 
the body. 
151. Colluber Hoelleik, the viper Hoelleik; entirely 
red ; a native of Arabia ; a foot long. The bite caufes a 
burning fwelling, but it is not fatal; it is faid to have the 
power of thawing ice with it's breath. 
152. Coluber Hannafch, tbe viperllannafch; ofaftfining 
black; a native of Arabia, a cubit in length, and as thick 
as a man’s finger. The bite caufes a fwelling, but is not 
dangerous. 
153. Coluber purpurafcens, the purple-blue viper; all 
over of a flfining violet colour; with 189 abdominal (cuta, 
and 122 fub-caudal fquamasj total 311. 
154. Coluber Ahsetuila, the viper Abastulla ; a native 
of Alia, and of America ; four feet two inches long, ta¬ 
pered like the thong of a whip, of a golden-green colour, 
the (kin is black and fometimes confpicuous between the 
fcales ; the head is long and narrow, -with a black (tripe 
over the eyes, It is alio defcribed as a coluber with the 
head. 
