in zoology, a genus of serpents belonging to the order of amphibia. The characters are these: they have a number of scuta or hard crusts on the belly; and scutellae or scales on the tail. Linnaeus enumerates no less than 97 species under this name, distinguished solely by the number of scuta and scutellae. The most remarkable are the following:

1. The Vipera, or common viper of the shops, has 118 scuta, and only 22 scutellae. The body is very short, and of a pale colour, with brownish spots; and the head is gibbous, and covered with small scales. It is a native of Egypt, and other warm countries. It has always been remarkable for its poisonous nature; inasmuch that vipers, when numerous, have often been thought the ministers of divine vengeance, like the plague, famine, and other national calamities. A notion also prevailed among the ancients, that few or none of the parts of a viper were free from poison; for which reason they made no experiments or discoveries concerning the nature of these creatures. It is now, however, proved, by undoubted experiments, that the poison of vipers, as well as of all other serpents whose bite is hurtful, lies in a bag at the bottom of their two greater teeth or fangs. These teeth are perforated; and when the creature bites, the compression of the bag forces out a little drop of the poison into the wound, where it produces its mischievous effects. The purpose answered by this poisonous liquor to the creatures themselves, is probably the destruction of their prey; for as serpents frequently feed upon animals of very considerable magnitude and strength, they would often undoubtedly make their escape, did not the poisonous juice instilled into the wounds made by the serpents teeth almost instantly deprive them of life, or at least of all power to struggle with their enemy. For an account of the symptoms produced by the bites of vipers and other venomous serpents in the human body, together with the best methods of cure, see the Index subjoined to Medicine. After the viper is deprived of those bags which contain its poison, it is entirely harmless: nay the flesh of it is highly nutritive, and justly esteemed a great restorative. It hath been much recommended in scrophulous, leprous, and other obstinate chronic disorders; but, to answer any good purpose, it must undoubtedly be used for a considerable time as food. The dried flesh which comes to this country from abroad, is justly esteemed by Dr Lewis to be totally insignificant. A volatile salt was formerly drawn from vipers, and sold at a great price, as a sovereign remedy against the bites of vipers and other poisonous animals; but it is now found not to be materially different from the volatile alkaline salts procured by distilling other animal substances.

2. The berus, or common British viper, is found in many countries of Europe. They swarm in the Hebrides, or western British isles, and abound in many parts of Britain; particularly in the dry, flinty, and chalky counties. According to Mr Pennant and other naturalists, they are viviparous, but proceed from an internal egg. The eggs are, as it were, chained together; and each about the size of the egg of a blackbird. This viper seldom grows longer than two feet; though Mr Pennant tells us he once saw a female (which is nearly a third larger than the male) almost three feet long. The ground colour of the male is of a dirty yellow, that of the female deeper. Its back is marked the whole length with a series of rhomboidal black spots, touching each other at the points; the sides with triangular ones; the belly entirely black. It hath 146 scuta, and 39 scutellae. There is a variety wholly black; but the rhomboid marks are very conspicuous even in this, being of a deeper and more gloomy hue than the rest. The head of the viper, says Mr Pennant, is inflated, which distinguishes it from the common snake. Mr Catesby affirms us, that the difference between the vipers and snakes or other serpents is, that the former have long hollow fangs, or tufts, with an opening near the point; the neck is small, the head broad, the cheeks extending wide, scales rough, the body for the most part flat and thick; they are slow of motion; swell the head and neck when irritated, and have a terrible and ugly aspect." Another material difference, however, consists in the production of their young: the viper hatches its eggs within itself, and then discharges the young; whereas the snake deposits its eggs, which are therefore externally hatched. The tongue is forked, the teeth small; the four canine teeth are placed two on each side the upper jaw: these instruments of poison are long, crooked, and moveable; capable, like those of the former species, of being raised or depressed at the pleasure of the animal, and they infill their poison in the same manner. The vipers are said not to arrive at their full growth till they are six or seven years old; but they are capable of engendering at two or three. They copulate in May, and go about three months with their young. Mr White informs us, that a viper which he opened had in it 15 young ones of the size of earth-worms, about 7 inches long. This little fry issued into the world with the true viper-spirit about them. They twirled and wriggled about with great alertness; and when touched, they erected themselves, and gaped very wide, showing immediate tokens of menace and defiance, tho' no fangs could be perceived even with the help of glasses: which the author remarks as an instance among others of that wonderful instinct which impresses young animals with a notion of the situation and use of their natural weapons even before these weapons are formed. Mr Pennant tells us, that he has been assured of a fact mentioned by Sir Thomas Brown *, who was far from being a credulous writer (A), that the young of the Error, viper, when terrified, will run down the throat of the parent, and seek for shelter in its belly, in the same manner as the young of the opossum retire into the ventral pouch of the old one. From this some have imagined that the viper is so unnatural as to devour its

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(A) The viper catchers, however, insist, that no such thing ever happens. See White's Nat. Hist. of Selborne, p. 51. its own young: but the assertion deserves no credit; it being well known that the food of these serpents is frogs, toads, lizards, mice, and, according to Dr. Macad, even an animal so large as a mole, which they are able to swallow entire, their throat and neck being capable of great dilatation. It is also said, from good authority, that vipers prey on young birds; but whether on such as nettle on the ground, or whether they climb up trees for them, as the Indian serpents do, is quite uncertain; the fact, however, is very far from being recent; for Horace tells us,

Ut afflens imprimibus pullis avis Serpentum allatis timet.

Thus for its young the anxious bird The gliding serpent fears.

The viper is capable of supporting very long abstinence; it being known, that some have been kept in a box six months without food, and yet did not abate of their vivacity. They feed only a small part of the year, but never during their confinement; for if mice, their favourite diet, should at that time be thrown into their box, though they will kill, yet they never will eat them. The violence of their poison decreases in proportion to the length of their confinement, as does also the virtue of their flesh whatever it is. The animals, when at liberty, remain torpid throughout the winter; but, when confined, have never been observed to take their annual repose. The method of catching them is by putting a cleft stick on or near their head; after which they are seized by the tail, and instantly put into a bag. The viper-catchers are very frequently bit by them in the pursuit of their business, yet we very rarely hear of their bite being fatal. Salad oil, if applied in time, is said to be a certain remedy. The flesh of the British viper has been celebrated as a restorative, as well as that of the foreign kind. Mr. Keyser relates, that Sir Kenelm Digby used to feed his wife, who was a most beautiful woman, with capons fattened with the flesh of vipers.

3. The punctatus of Linnæus, by Mr. Catesby called the water-viper, is a native of Carolina. According to Linnæus it is ash-coloured, variegated with yellow spots. Mr. Catesby informs us, that the head and back of this serpent are brown; the belly marked transversely with yellow, and also the sides of the neck. The neck is small, the head large, and the mouth armed with the destructive fangs of the viper or rattle-snake, next to which it is reckoned the largest serpent in this country. Contrary to what is observed in most other vipers, these are very nimble and active, and very dexterous in catching fish. In summer, great numbers are seen lying on the branches of trees hanging over rivers; from which, on the approach of a boat, they drop into the water, and often into the boat on the men's heads. They lie in wait in this manner to surprise either birds or fish; after the latter they plunge with surprising swiftness, and catch some of a large size, which they bring ashore and swallow whole. The tail of this animal is small towards the end, and terminates in a blunt horny point about half an inch long. This harmless little horn hath been the occasion of many terrible reports; as, that by a jerk of its tail, the animal is capable of instantly destroying both men and beasts; that a tree struck with this terrible horn, in a short time Coluber grows black, withers, and dies, &c. but all these Mr. Catesby assures us have not the least foundation in fact.

4. The chersea is a native of Sweden, where it is called afspring. It is a small reddish serpent, whose bite is said to be mortal. Concerning this species Mr. Pennant asks, "Is it possible that this could be the species which has hitherto escaped the notice of our naturalists?" I rather suspect it, as I have been informed that there is a small snake that lurks in the low grounds of Galloway, which bites and often proves fatal to the inhabitants."

5. The præter of Linnæus, or black viper of Mr. Catesby, is a native of Carolina and Virginia. It is short and thick, slow of motion, spreads its head surprisingly when irritated, very flat and thick, threatening with a horrid hiss. They are very poisonous; their bite being as deadly as that of the rattlesnake. They frequent the higher lands, and are of a rusty black colour.

6. The coluber luridus of Forster, called by Mr. Catesby the brown viper; is a native of the same countries with the preceding. It is about two feet long, and large in proportion; very slow in its motion, even when threatened with danger: notwithstanding which, it defends itself very fiercely when attacked, and its bite is as venomous as any. They prey upon efts, lizards, and other animals of that kind.

Besides these species of which we have a particular description, the following are also reckoned among the poisonous serpents, viz. 7. The atropos, with 131 scuta and 22 scutellæ. It is a native of America, the body white, and the eyes brown, with a white iris. 8. The leberis, with 110 scuta and 50 scutellæ, is a native of Canada, and has many black linear rings. 9. The ammodites, with 142 scuta and 32 scutellæ, is a native of the East. It is about six inches long, and has a fleshy protuberance on its nose. 10. The afsis, with 146 scuta and 46 scutellæ, is a native of France; and is of a reddish colour, with dusky spots on the back. 11. The lebetinus, with 155 scuta and 46 scutellæ, is a native of Asia, and is of a cloudy colour, with red spots on the belly. 12. The severus, with 170 scuta and 42 scutellæ, is likewise a native of Asia, and is ash-coloured with white belts. 13. The stollatus, with 143 scuta and 76 scutellæ, is a native of Asia, and is of a greyish colour, with two white fillets. 14. The lacteus, with 203 scuta and 32 scutellæ, is a native of the Indies. Its colour is white, with black spots. 15. The naja, with 193 scuta and 60 scutellæ, is a native of the East Indies, and is reckoned the most poisonous of all serpents. The root of the lignum colubrinum (ophiorrhiza) is said to have been pointed out to the Indians as an antidote against the bite of this serpent by the viverra ichneumon, a creature which fights with this serpent, and cures itself by eating of this plant when wounded. The Indians, when bit, instantly chew it, swallow the juice, and apply the masticated root to the puncture. It is killed by the ichneumon. 16. The atrox, with 196 scuta and 69 scutellæ, is a native of Asia. It is of a hoary colour, and the head is compressed and covered with small scales. 17. The niveus, with 209 scuta and 62 scutellæ, is a native of Africa. It is white, and with- out any spots. 18. The corallinus, with 193 scuta and 82 scutellae, is a native of Asia. It is greyish, with three brown fillets. 19. The diphas, with 152 scuta and 135 scutellae, is a native of America. It is of a bluish colour, with the margins of the scales white.

20. The mycterizans, with 192 scuta and 167 scutellae, is a native of America. It is of a bluish-green colour, hath a stretched out triangular snout. Inhabits trees, and lives on insects.

The above 20 species are all the serpents of the genus of coluber that are reckoned poisonous. Of the rest we shall only mention the following, which are the most remarkable.

21. The erythrogaster of Forster, called by Mr. Catesby the copper-bellied snake, is a native of Carolina, and grows sometimes near to the size of a rattlesnake. It is of a brown colour in all parts of its body, except the belly, which is of a red copper colour. They frequent water, and probably prey on fish; but they will also devour birds and such other animals as they are able to overcome. They are bold and active, frequently entering poultry-houses, devouring the fowls and sucking their eggs.

22. The constrictor, or black snake, is a native of several parts of America. They are very long, sometimes measuring six feet, and are all over of a shining black. This species is not only perfectly harmless, but extremely useful in clearing the housetops of rats, which it pursues with wonderful agility to the very roofs, and all parts of barns and outhouses, for which good services it is cherished by the generality of Americans. It is also said, that it will destroy the rattlesnake, by twisting round it, and whipping it to death. In the time of copulation it is extremely bold and fierce, and will attack mankind; but its bite has no more effect than a scratch with a pin. It is so swift that there is no escaping its pursuit. Many ridiculous frights have happened from this innocent reptile. As every one in America is full of the dread of the rattlesnake, they are apt to fly at the sight of any of the serpent kind. This pursues, soon overtakes, and by twisting round the legs of the fugitive, soon brings him to the ground; but he happily receives no hurt, but what may result from this fright: all the mischief this species does is to the housewives, for it will skim their milk-pans of the cream, and rob their hen-roosts of all the eggs.

23. The annulatus, or little brown bead-snake, is always small, and is seldom found above ground, but commonly dug up, and found twisting about the roots of shrubs and plants. All the back and other parts of the body have transverse spots of brown and white so disposed as to have some resemblance to a string of English beads; whence probably it takes its name. It is quite harmless, and is a native of Virginia and Carolina.

24. The flagellum, or coach-whip snake, is of a brown colour, very long, slender, and active. It runs swiftly, and is quite inoffensive; but the Indians imagine it is able to cut a man in two with a jerk of its tail.

25. The fulvius, or corn-snake, is beautifully marked with red and white, resembling a species of Indian corn, whence its name. It is harmless as to its bite, but frequently robs hen-roosts.

26. The aestivus, or green snake, is all over of a green colour. It inhabits Carolina; where it lives among the branches of trees on flies and other insects. It is of a small size, and easily becomes tame and familiar, inasmuch that some people will carry them in their bosom.

27. The fasciatus, or wampum snake, derives its name from its resemblance to the Indian wampum. It sometimes grows to the length of five feet; and like other large snakes, is very voracious, but its bite is not venomous. The back is of a dark blue, the belly finely clouded with spots of a brighter blue; the head is small in proportion to the rest of the body. See further the article Serpent.