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A venomous Australian snake of the family Elapidæ, of several species, as the Hoplocephalus superbus and Acanthopis antarctica. -- Death bell, a bell that announces a death. The death bell thrice was heard to ring. Mickle. -- Death candle, a light like that of a candle, viewed by the superstitious as presaging death.…

A genus of harmless colubrine snakes.

ht to drag thee down. Tennyson. A needless Alexandrine ends the song That, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along. Pope.

A genus of venomous snakes found both in America and the Old World. Many species are known. See Coral snake, under Coral.

or coverings of animals; any parts of animals which are shed or cast off, as the skins of snakes, the shells of lobsters, etc.

art, more particularly, the outer cuticular layer, as the shells of crustaceans, skins of snakes, etc.; molting; ecdysis.

ence, a zigzag fence composed of rails crossing one another at their ends; -- called also snake fence, or Virginia rail fence. -- To be on the fence, to be undecided or uncommitted in respect to two opposing parties or policies. [Colloq.]

Pertaining to, or inhabiting, a fen; abounding in fens; swampy; boggy. "Fenny snake." Shak.

nt (Trigonocephalus lanceolatus) of Brazil and the West Indies. It is allied to the rattlesnake, but has no rattle.

land, king-at-arms to the Order of the Garter; -- often abbreviated to Garter. -- Garter snake (Zoöl.), one of several harmless American snakes of the genus Eutænia, of several species (esp. E. saurita and E. sirtalis); one of the striped snakes; -- so called from its conspicuous stripes of color.

A large burrowing snake (Spilotes Couperi) of the Southern United States. Gopher drift (Mining), an irregular prospecting drift, following or seeking the ore without regard to regular grade or section. Raymond.

e in water, in which they deposit their eggs; -- called also hair eel, hairworm, and hair snake, from the absurd, but common and widely diffused, notion that they are metamorphosed horsehairs.

reaks in a solid mass on a vessel's deck. -- Green sickness (Med.), chlorosis. -- Green snake (Zoöl.), one of two harmless American snakes (Cyclophis vernalis, and C. æstivus). They are bright green in color. -- Green turtle (Zoöl.), an edible marine turtle. See Turtle. -- Green vitriol. (a) (Chem.) Sulphate of iro…

and in Jamaica, the North sea. -- Ground sill. See Ground plate (a) (above). -- Ground snake (Zoöl.), a small burrowing American snake (Celuta amoena). It is salmon colored, and has a blunt tail. -- Ground squirrel. (Zoöl.) (a) One of numerous species of burrowing rodents of the genera Tamias and Spermophilus, havi…

An order of Amphibia, having a long, annulated, snakelike body. See Ophiomorpha.

er of inflating its neck into a hood. Its bite is very venomous. It is supposed to be the snake by means of whose bite Cleopatra committed suicide, and hence is sometimes called Cleopatra's snake or asp. See Asp.

A large venomous East Indian snake (Orhiophagus bungarus), allied to the cobras.

-- Harlequin moth. (Zoöl.) See Magpie Moth. -- Harlequin opal. See Opal. -- Harlequin snake (Zoöl.), a small, poisonous snake (Elaps fulvius), ringed with red and black, found in the Southern United States.

uttered; to give heed; to hear, in order to obey or comply. The Furies hearken, and their snakes uncurl. Dryden. Hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you. Deut. iv. 1.

n the tongue and the teeth; to make with the mouth a sound like that made by a goose or a snake when angered; esp., to make such a sound as an expression of hatred, passion, or disapproval. The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee. Ezek. xxvii. 36.