observed to deepen to a reddish brown. The bite of one puff adder will 
kill another. Young puff adders fed to a carp by scientists bit the fish 
internally and killed it. 
GABOON VIPER 
Another African viper is the awe-inspiring Gaboon, which is the heaviest, 
though not the longest, of African poisonous snakes. It is dark brown, marked 
with yellowish diamonds running lengthwise. Its head is impressively broad, 
and its fangs may be one and one-quarter inches long. Yet despite its fero¬ 
cious aspect, it is placid and slow to attack. Its venom, however, is extremely 
potent. 
The vipers also have European representatives, and these have occupied 
an important place both in folklore and primitive medicine. Among them 
are the asp said to have bitten Cleopatra; the nose-horned viper, known in 
Austria as the sandnatter; Orsini’s viper, found in the Italian Abruzzi; and 
the common viper, found throughout Europe and England. 
In eighteenth-century England viper flesh was the chief ingredient in a 
popular remedy for scurvy, known as viper bread. The recipe was: one 
ounce powder of viper’s flesh, three ounces of the mealy part of the 
sassafras root finely powdered, one pound fine wheat flour, yolk of one 
egg, a little yeast and sufficient milk to knead. Form into cakes and bake. 
“Tincture of vipers” was used in a prescription to induce sweating. 
BUSHMASTER 
Largest of all the vipers is the bushmaster, known in Central America as 
cascabela muda , or silent rattler. Examples twelve feet long have been 
found, and nine feet is a common length. It is the only American viper 
that lays eggs. Like the rattler, it warns of its presence by vibrating its tail, 
but the sound produced is no more than a low buzz. 
A slender snake, the bushmaster is pale brown or pinkish, with large 
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