The American citizen. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1888-1909, 1889-02-01
ALPINE REPTILES.

The commOnest and worst form Oh
venomous snakes in the southern Alps
is one of two forms of the viper. Both
are frequent in many districts, DuS
generally one predominates. The vi
per is not a pleasant companion,
though he does not seem to be inten-
tionally vicious. He is fond of lying
on banks of sand and single that face
the south. There he suns himself
luxuriously. and, if you do not disturb
him, he will not disturb you. Now
and then, however, he wanders into
the woods and over the meadows, IN
search of lizards, field-mice, and 'sucn
small DEER It is then that he be-
comes dangerous, not out OF pure
wickedness, but because the worm /
that is trodden upon will turn. COWS
and sheep browsing on the grass will
put one of their feet, quite uncon-
sciously, on viper, or disturb him
with their muzzles when he is only go
ing about his regular and lawful busl-
ness. and as they have no language In
which to beg his pardon. sharp bite
which involves long and painful Ill
ness. sometimes death. The country
people, who go about barefooted or In
low wooden shoes, are sometimes the
victims of a similar accident.
The other snakes VIII ch are common,
particularly the long black adder, are
perfectly harmless and pleasing IN
their movements, both on the earth
and in the water, if you are content to
watch instead of numbering them.
A lizard is not a snake; but, IN
spite of the naturalists, popu-
lar fancy confounds them with
each other. A herder will tell you that
four-footed serpents are to be found
there or there and he keeps his cattle
as far as possible from such places.
The large green lizard which abounds
in certain places, though it is not gen
orally distributed, has the worst char
acter-why, it is hard to say. 1t
would be difficult to imagine more
lovely creature. and it has neither the
will nor the power to hurt any large
animal. When basking on the stones
or darting over them it seems living
Jewel. Yet it is pitilessly slain by the
peasants whenever an opportunity
offers.
As a certain compensation for the
bad character they generally bear, and
the ill-treatment to which they are ex-
posed. popular imagination has invest
| n
raj qualities. Some of these are mere
, errors in natural history, which in the
last century were common even among
the learned. Thus almost all game
keepers believe that the viper, If sud
, denly disturbed, will swallow its owr
? young in order to protect them, ant
= some will even declare that they have
seen this done, and describe the whole
l process with the utmost detail. The
viper utters a sharp sound, between
hiss and whistle, and thel
g open her jaws to the widest extent, thu
9 children creep in, head foremost, ant
a then she glides rapidly away. Sucl
vipers, of course. belong to the sam
>, mythical region as the swallows which
a wind themselves by swift flying into
ball, and then sink to the bottom of
= lake, in the way described by DR.
II johnson in "Boswell's Life" Thi
y error is easily explained. Severa
n snakes are viviparOus, and roug
dissection of female by an unpractise
hand might easily lead to the belle
that the young had sought refuge i
IN their mothers stomach. On the Othe
~ hand, though serpents are not gene
as ally affectionate parents, it may yer
LII we'll be that for the first few days tn
be mother may take her brood to 81
=. themselves on the single. In such
~ case she would not venture far from
10 safe refuge. Her cry may really
one of warning. and her open jaws
he threat to her enemy. Her offsprir
would under such circumstances fiji
n' it easy to conceal themselves amor
a the stones. This is a mere theor
ms but DR. johnson did not cOndescend
nd explain how his swallows managed
'ln wind themselves into ball. and 1t
;. difficult to imagine any means
IL. which they could have done Ito
EN- don Saturday Review.