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ARACTER GENERICUS. Scuta abdominalia. Squamae subcaudates. Lin. Ses. Nat. p. 275 CAARACTER SPECIFICUS. COLUBER subolivaceo- ferrugineus, nigro irroratus, maculis dorsalibus pallidis nigro circumscriptis, fascia laterali undulata pallida. Abdomen pallide ochraceum fuliginoso-maculatum. Scuta abdom: 127. Squam: subcaud: circiter 3 2.
Inter species hucusque ignotas numerandus est Coluber nasicornis. E numero est dirorum istorum serpentum quorum morsus in calidioribus mundi partibus, mortem inferre solet celerem et luctuosam. Si totum fere genus serpentinum horrescunt plurimi homines in hujusmodi investigationibus minus versati, qUanto majori metu putemus illos percuti, qui in vivum hunc colubrum inopinato inciderint; quem totum horrificum
deformat vultus praeter modum torvias et atroX. Cornua enim gerit duo magna et acuminata, non, qualia
Cerastis, supra oculos; sed super nasum seu summum maxillae
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maxillae superioris sta. Erecta propemodum sent, paulum tamen retro flectuntur, e Xtrinsecusque ab utroque latere. Non omnino cornea sunt, sed quodammodo flexibilia, forma fere triangulari sive triquetra. Longa sunt circiter dimidium unciae, et a basi utraque exstat squama dura ejusdem sere formae cum ipsis cornubus; quo fit, ut duo quasi minora cornUa CXUrgere VideantUr. Os illi, ut aliis venenatis serpentibus, telis tubulatis duobus utrinque mUnitiar, qUM, Cham maXima sint, Vulnus sarvissimum possunt insigere. Horum minora sunt postica. Longus est Coluber nascornis Uncias circinertriginta quinque. Coloris est fusco- flavescentis, maculis parvulis nigri cantibus creberrime irrorati. Per totam dorsi longitudinem, magnis intervallis, decurrit series macularum fusco-flavescentium, majoribus nigris immersarum; protenditurque Per Utraqtae latera a capite ad caudam fascia angusta, ochracea, actite flexuosa, cujus pars inferior seu ventri proxima, nigrior multo est quam reliquum Corpus. Venter obscure ochraceus est, scii cinereo- flavus, labeculis Variis nigricantibus notatus; sparguntur insuper per totUm corpus huc, illuc, maculae plurimae diversis magnitudinis. Cauda tenuis brevisque pro corpore. Squamae asperae duraeque et insigniter carinatae. Caput squamis parvis tegitur, parsque superior maculam habet permagnam fuscam, Utrinque in processus aCUminatos eXcurrentem. Latera Capitis plumbeo, seu cinereo colore cinguntur. Caput ipsum latum et depressum, genaeque fusco et favi cante
Captum fuisse putem hunc serpentem cum jam CX-uvias depositurus esset; squamae quippe exteriores a
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subjacentibus facile separantur, quae, hoc facto, lucidiores videntur; immo circa Ventrem fere albescutit, maculis nigrioribus notatae. Collabrum nassicornem accepit Dominus EDv ARDUs JΞNRINS in oppido vulgo dicto murtes Tomn in Carolina Australi degens, a navarcha e Guinea profecto, illoque nuperrime Museum Britannicum ditavit. Notum esse eum creditur in interiori Africa.
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GENERIC CHARACTER. Transverse Lamel e under the abdomen. Broad alternate Scales under tho tali. ECIFIC CHARACTER.
The Dahe here represented must be considered as aspecies hitherio Vnknown, and adds to the number of those malignant reptiles Rhose bite, in the holter regions of the globe, proves the dreadfui forerunner of a speedyand painful death. Is at first glance of most of the serpent-tribe an involuntary fori os horror and alarm isso osten seti by those who are unused to the examinationos these animais, horu much greater dread must theunexpected uievi of the species here exhibited he sup- posed to insitet λ when to the generat form of the crea-
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ture is superadded the peculiar fiercenesi and sorbid-ding torvity with Whicli nature has marked iis counte- nance: distinguished by the very Uncommon appear-ance of two large and marp-pointed horns, silualed, not as in the Cerastes, aboVe the eyes,) but on thetop of the nosse, or anterior part of the Upper ja .
os a substance not absolutely horny, but in sonae degreo flexible. Their mape is someWhat triangular or three sided. They are about half an incli in tength, and atthe fore- part of the base of each stands an us right strong scale, of nearly the fame sinape with the horia it-self, and thus giving the appearance of a much smallerpair of horns. The mouit, is furnis hed with extremelylarge and long tangs or tubular teeth, siluated as in other polsonous serpents, and capable of inflicting the
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markings of blachis h. Besides these there is a numberos black spois of different si ges here and there dispersed Over the whole snahe. The tali is someruliat thin and shori in proportion to the body. The scales of this snahe are harsti and stist , and are very strongly carinated. The head is covered with smali scales, and is on iis Upper pari marked by a very large longitudinal palchos bro ia, running out into potnted processes at thesides, and bounded by a space of duli lead- colour orcinereous. The sinape of the head is broad and fiat- tened : the cheelis are varied with blackish and yellow.It seems to have been talien at a period not far distant frona that os casting iis stin; as the exterior scales separate ea si ly frona the subjacent ones, whicli then appearos a clearer and lighter colour than before, and the yelloiuisi, variegations on the fides and belly approach to awhitisti colour, With darkim spois and marks. This snake is supposed to be a native of the interior paris of Africa, and was obtained frona the master of a Guinea vesset by the Rev. ED ARD JENRINs of Charies-TO n, Souili Carolina, by whom it was lately presented to the Britisti Musicum.