A GREEN SNAKE 
bags attached, is not enough to ensure success in life 
for any of the punier snakes of to-day. We find 
therefore, a variety of ways in which these creatures 
confront their foes in the struggle for existence. The 
Viper in question, Lachesis gramineus, is certainly one 
of, if not ¢he most beautiful serpent in existence. Its 
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GREEN TREE VIPER. 
whole body is of an exquisite grassy green; its pro- 
portions are elegant, and the diamond-shaped head, 
so characteristic of vipers, only adds to the graceful- 
ness of its outline. It has avoided the coarse puffiness 
of the rattlesnake and the somewhat scraggy pro- 
portions of the British viper. Like all vipers, it is 
provided with one or two fangs on each side of the 
upper jaw, which are replaced by others when they 
are worn out or dropped ; and, as in other vipers, these 
teeth are tubes leading from the duct of the poison 
264 
