. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . gantic Serpent several speci-mens are generally to be seenin the Zoological Gardens. III.—Hortulia, having theupper and lower labial shieldsdeeply pitted; muzzle and fore-head with symmetrical shield;nostrils lateral. They are nativesof Africa, and three species areknown, namely, the Natal RockSnake, having the lower labialshields deeply pitted, the muzzleand forehead with symmetricalshields, the nostrils lateral; theGuinea Rock or Fetish Snake{H. Sebce), close
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . gantic Serpent several speci-mens are generally to be seenin the Zoological Gardens. III.—Hortulia, having theupper and lower labial shieldsdeeply pitted; muzzle and fore-head with symmetrical shield;nostrils lateral. They are nativesof Africa, and three species areknown, namely, the Natal RockSnake, having the lower labialshields deeply pitted, the muzzleand forehead with symmetricalshields, the nostrils lateral; theGuinea Rock or Fetish Snake{H. Sebce), closely resembling thelast in many structural points;and the Royal Rock Snake{H. regia), having the four pairsof the upper front labials pitted,the upper ocular plate single,and lower labial shields four innumber and broad. The Royal Rock Snake in-habits Western Africa. It isblack in colour, marked on themiddle of the back with a seriesof oblong white spots, the sidesbeing marked by another seriesof large white spots, with oneor two black spots in the upperpart; the head black, with astreak over the nostrils and thetop of the Fig. 13.—Natal Rock Snake. 56 REPTILES AND BIRDS. The Natal Rock Snake {H. natakfisis, Fig. 13) is described by-Sir Andrew Smith as being gigantic in size, he having seen a skinmeasuring twenty-five feet, although part of the tail was absent. It feeds, he says, on small quadrupeds ; and for some days afterswallowing one it remains in a torpid state, when it may be easilydestroyed. Of this opportunity, however, the South Africans neveravail themselves; they have a horror of the reptile, but believethat it has an influence over their destinies, and affirm that no onehas ever been known to kill one and prosper. The Guinea Rock or Fetish Snake (II. Sebis, Fig. 14) is typicalof the genus, and has also been referred to the Boa Constrictor, andclosely resembles the Natal Rock Snake. ^ It is a native of thewarmer parts of Africa. A living specimen at the Zoo
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectrep
