The large plates on ferpents are called, in the Lin- 
ncean language, by the name of Scuta, to diftinguifh 
them from the Squamae, or feales on the other parts 
of the body : but as thofe feuta which are fituated un¬ 
der the tail, differ from the reft in being fmaller or 
lefs extended, and form a feparate affortment from the 
abdominal ones, they (hould always be called by a name 
which fhould inftantly diftinguifh them from the Scu¬ 
ta or larger plates. I have therefore called thefe fmal- 
Icr feuta by the name of Scutula. 
Notwithftanding an appearance of malignity in this 
animal, it is not of a venomous nature ; that is, it is 
not capable of inflicting any other than a fimple w ound 
by its teeth, as it is unprovided with the tubular fangs 
and refervoir of poifon with which the venomous fer¬ 
pents are furnifhed. 
Its colour is a mod beautiful vivid Saxon or bluifti- 
green, with feveral broad tranfverfe bars of white down 
the back; the belly is of a white colour, but flightly 
tinged with yellow'. It is an inhabitant of America. 
The figure of this Snake in Seba’s Mufeum is fo well 
executed both as to pofture and accuracy, that it was 
thought better to copy it than to attempt a new one. 
In the Britifh Mufeum is a fine fpecimen of this 
animal. It is alfo figured in the Mufeum Adolphi fri- 
derici of Linnaeus, but the figure in that work is far 
from having the elegance of Seba’s reprefentation. 
The defeription of this ferpent by Linnaeus in the 
Muf. Adolph. Frid. is as follows. 
€t Head cordated, oblong before the eyes, deprefled, 
ct gibbous behind, imbricated with ffnall feales; the 
<c anterior 
