THE COMMON EUROPEAN VIPER.

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THE Common Viper is to be met with in most countries of the ancient world. In the East Indies also it is found, and varies very slightly from that which is the native of Europe. It can equally support the vicissitudes of very cold climates, it being an inhabitant of Sweden, where its bite is nearly as dangerous as in the warmer regions of Europe, and likewise of Russia, and of several parts of Siberia, where it is very numerous, as the superstitions of the people deter them from endeavouring to destroy this noxious reptile, because that they conceive some terrible disaster will follow the attempt.

Vipers crawl slowly at all times, and in general only attack such smaller animals as are their usual food. They never willingly assail man or the larger animals, except when wounded, trampled on, or irritated, when they become furious, and are apt to bite severely. From the firmer manner in which their spine is articulated, they are unable to twist themselves round so much as most other serpents. It is only the head that they can turn with any considerable degree of agility; owing to this circumstance, they are easily taken. For this purpose, some persons use a forked stick, to fix the Viper by the neck; and then, seizing it by the tail,

throw it into a bag. Others, holding down its head with the end of a stick, take it fast in the left hand by the neck; and while the animal makes ineffectual efforts to defend itself, with its mouth wide open, cut out its poisonous fangs with a pair of scissars or a knife: the Viper, after this, is incapable of doing injury, and may be handled with perfect safety. The English Viper-catchers have the boldness to seize them suddenly by the neck, or even by the tail, with their hands; and holding them with a firm grasp, the animal is altogether incapable of turning itself sufficiently to bite the hand that holds it fast. Highly poisonous as the venom of the Viper is when infused into a wound, it produces no effect whatever when taken into the stomach.

The length of the Common Viper seldom exceeds two feet, though sometimes they are found above three. The ground colour of their bellies is of a dirty yellow; that of the female is deeper. The back is marked the whole length with a series of rhomboid black spots, touching each other at the point; the belly is entirely black. It is chiefly distinguished from the common ringed snake by the colour, which in the latter is more beautifully mottled, as well as by the head, which is thicker than the body; but particularly by the tail, which in the Viper, though it end in a point, does not run tapering to so great a length as in the other: when, therefore, other distinctions fail, the difference of the tail can be discerned at a single glance. These animals are found in many parts of our own island, particularly in the dry, stony, and chalky countries. It is extremely difficult to kill them. They will exist for three or four hours, or longer, in spirits of wine : yet, tobacco, and especially its essential oil, proves speedily fatal to them. The Viper is the only one of the Serpent or Reptile tribe, in Great Britain, from whose bite any evil consequences are to be apprehended. The animal is viviparous, and produces its

offspring towards the close of summer. When the young are in danger they retreat into the mouth of the mother. The Viper attains its full growth in about seven years, and is capable of supporting long abstinence. Its flesh was once in great request as a restorative, and remedy for various diseases.

THE FATAL VIPER.

THIS animal has a short round head, and a large wide mouth, armed with four curvated teeth, two in each jaw; its eyes dart fire; and its bite inflicts cruel and inevitable death. It has also the faculty of erecting its scales at pleasure, or when irritated, and of closing them again with a rattling noise. A border of silver white scales surrounds the mouth; the tongue is fleshy and forked, which the creature can protrude to a great length when offended; at which time it also shows its teeth in a menacing posture, like a snarling dog, and thus it can show or conceal its fangs at pleasure. The scales on the upper part of the body are elegantly speckled with pale yellow, cinereous gray, black, brown, and white, glistening most superbly in the sun. It is a native of South America, and of the Island of Ceylon; it will attack man or beast with great fury, erecting its crest, and darting forward with singular rapidity and courage. The male is deeper coloured than the female, and appears to have a larger body and a more slender tail. The general length of this Snake seems to be about four or five feet, and the tail is long in proportion to the body.

THE EGYPTIAN ASP.

THIS animal is about three feet in length; the head is rather large, and covered with small carinated scales,

the body with larger, of similar structure: the colour is pale rufous gray, and along the upper parts are three longitudinal ranges of deep rufous spots, bordered with black, and which unite or become confluent towards the tail, in such a manner as to exhibit the appearance of a zigzag band, resembling in some degree that of the common viper: the under parts of a dusky colour, marbled with dull yellow: in the structure of its fangs it resembles the viper, and is said to be equally poisonous. The nose is terminated by an erect wart-like excrescence. It preys by smell, and feeds on rats, mice, lizards, frogs, toads, &c.

THE colouring of this species is seen in its greatest brilliancy about the beginning of spring; when, after having thrown off its old covering, it exposes its new skin, with all its bright enamelled scales, to the genial warmth of the sun's rays, which, playing on the scales, gild them with undulating reflections. The upper parts of the body are of a beautiful green, more or less variegated with yellow, gray, brown, and even sometimes with red; the under parts being always more of a whitish colour. The colours of this species are subject to variety, becoming pale at certain seasons of the year, and more particularly after the death of the animal. It is chiefly in the warm countries that it shines with all its superb ornaments, like gold

and precious stone. In these regions it grows to a larger size than in more temperate countries, being sometimes found thirty inches in length.-The inhabitants of Africa eat the flesh of this animal. It is a gentle creature, and, if taken when young, may be rendered tame. If irritated, however, and driven to extremity, it will defend itself against a dog, and will fasten so firmly on his muzzle as to allow itself to be killed rather than forego its hold.

The Green Lizard is by no means confined to the warmest countries of both continents; it is found likewise in temperate regions, though it is there smaller and less numerous. It is not even unknown in Sweden, and in Kamtschatka; and in both countries, in spite of its beautiful appearance, it is looked on by the inhabitants with horror, from some strange superstitious prejudices. It is not an inhabitant of this country.

CHAMELEONS are found of various sizes, but are seldom above fourteen inches long, of which the tail is seven; and the length of the legs, including the toes, is about three inches. It is found in all the warm countries, both of the old and new world, in India,

VOL. II.

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