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 Natural SH 
 
 REPTILES AND SERPENTS. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED, 
 
 AS? 
 
 Containing an Account 
 
 Of IFormSy of Corals, and of Sponges. 
 
 DUBLIN: 
 
 Printed by C. Bentham, 19, Eustace-street. 
 
 1821.
 
 Slack 
 Annex 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THERE is one peculiarity ia the follow- 
 ing account of Reptiles and Serpents, 
 which it may be useful to mention to 
 the young reader. The Frog is the 
 only animal in the collection which 
 is found in Ireland. Amongst tha re- 
 mainder, the Viper and the Toad, together 
 with one or two kinds of harmless Ser- 
 pents and the Nimble Lizard, are natives 
 of England, but the whole number, whe- 
 ther harmless or hurtful, with the excep- 
 tion already mentioned, are unable to bear 
 our climate. Every one has, doubtless, 
 heard, that vonernous animals do not exist 
 amongst us ; but whatever may be the 
 
 2091183
 
 Vi PREFACE. 
 
 cause, (and it proceeds, most probably, 
 from the coldness of our atmosphere,) 
 we should not forget to thank Him, 
 whose gift it is, that we can walk 
 through our fields, without fearing in- 
 jury from those deadly animals, which 
 are found in the hotter parts of the 
 earth. In the Appendix will be found a 
 brief account of Worms, Corals, and 
 Sponges, the next classes which occur as 
 we descend, in the history of Animals. 
 Their structure becomes gradually more 
 simple, and their powers fewer ; but it is 
 well deserving of observation, how ad- 
 mirably fitted to the station allotted to it 
 each is by Almighty Wisdom.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 REPTILES. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 The Common Tortoise* . . . 9 
 
 Common Frog .< - 21 
 
 Toad . . . . - . 35 
 
 Crccodil3 . . .. .- 43 
 
 Guana . -. 5* 
 
 Chameleon . . . . . . 5T 
 
 Flying Dragon . . . . 04 
 
 Nimble Lizard .. .. 65 
 
 The Salamander ... ... 70 
 
 Water Eft or Newt .. .. 72 
 
 SERPENTS. 
 
 Rattle Snake .. .. 70 
 
 Gre-tt Boa . . . . . . 90 
 
 Viper .. .. JOT 
 
 Water Viper . . . . 116 
 
 Great Viper of Martinique, .. ' 117 
 
 Lady Viper .. .. .. 120 
 
 Cereastu .. .. .. 122 
 
 Hooded or Spectacle Snake . . 120 
 
 The Common or Hinged Snake .. 132 
 
 Black Snake .. .. 133 
 
 Whip Snake .. .. 143 
 
 Sen Serpent .. .. H4 
 
 WORMS. 
 
 Earth Worm -. .. 1,56 
 
 Ascaris .. ,. .. 160 
 
 Fluke Worm of the Sheep .. J62 
 
 T;eniae, or Tape Worms .. .. 163 
 - Common Tape Worm .. 164 
 
 Indian Thread- Worm .. .. 166 
 - Infernal Fury .. ... 139 
 -- Common Hair Worm .. .. 170 
 
 Sea Long- Worm .. .. 172 
 
 CORALS AND SPONGES ... 174
 
 HISTORY 
 
 THE COMMON TORTOISE. 
 
 J. HE common Tortoise rarely exceeds eight 
 inches in length, and seldom weighs more than 
 three pounds. Its shell is composed, (as in all 
 the varieties of this aniiiial) of thirteen middle 
 pieces, and About twenty- five marginal ones. 
 The legs are short, and the feet covered with 
 strong scales, and armed with four strong 
 claws. The tail is ratflf.r shorter than the. legs 
 and covered with small scales.- which erid ^tth 
 a hard pointed tip. Thus we see the Tortoise 
 ha* an advantage, which most otber animals have 
 not. From the moment !' its breaking the 
 B
 
 10 
 
 shell, it has a soKd and durable house, strong 
 enough to resist its enemies, and yet not fixed 
 10 one spot. It carries every where the dwell- 
 ing which nature has furnished for its defence, 
 and under it, can dwell in perfect security. 
 
 This species reside* princi pally in burrows 
 that it forms in the ground. In these, it sleeps 
 away the greatest part f its time, appearing 
 abroad only for a lew hours in the middle of 
 each day. It feeds on various kinds of herbs, 
 fruit, worms, snails, and insects. Its manners 
 are exceedingly gentle and peaceable; hence it 
 is easily domesticated, and is an agreeable ob- 
 ject in gardens, where it destroys noxious slugs 
 and insects. In defecl of its usual food, it may 
 be supplied with, and will live sufficiently well 
 on, bran or meal. 
 
 In the autumn, i( retires to some hiding place 1 
 under the surface of the earth, where it remains 
 in a state of torpor for four or five months, not 
 again making its appearance abroad, until re- 
 called into life by the warmttrof the sun in spring. 
 About the beginning of June, the female, 
 when in her native state, scratches a hole in 
 some warm situation* where she deposits four er 
 live eggs. These are hatched in September ; 
 and the young ones, \vhen they first come into 
 the world, are not bigger than a walnut. 
 
 This small specief;, which is sometimes met 
 in a domesticated state, often arrives at a great 
 age, even beyond the period of a century. One
 
 11 
 
 of these thai was brought into the arohbishop"s 
 palace at Lambeth, about the year 1633, was 
 still living, in the year 1753, and then was 
 thought to have died from neglect, rather than 
 from old ago. In the year 1765. a tortoise was 
 living in the garden of Samuel Simmons, Esq. 
 at Landwich, in Kent, which was known to have 
 been there eighty-six years ; but how Jong be- 
 fore that period, no one could say with authority. 
 It was on the premises before Mr. Simmons took 
 them, and was supposed to have been brought 
 there from the West Indies, by the former pos- 
 sessor. This creature received a considerable 
 injury about thirty years before it died, from 
 the wheel of a loaded waggon, which went over 
 it and cracked its shell. 
 
 It was always extremely alarmed when sur- 
 prised by a sudden shower of rain, during its 
 peregrinations for food, shuffling away on the 
 first sprinklings, and always, if possible, cun- 
 ning its head up into a corner. It thus became 
 an excellent barometer; for if h walked elate, 
 and, as it were, on tiptoe, feeding with great 
 earnestness, in a morning, there was almost 
 invariably, rain before night. 
 
 Mr. White, of Selbourne, attended accurately 
 to the manners of one that was in the possession 
 of a ladv of his acquaintance (who resided in 
 Sussex.) upwards of thirty years. It regularly 
 retire"d underground, about the middle of No- 
 vember, from whence it did not come forth until
 
 12 
 
 about the middle of April. Its appetite was 
 always most voracious in the height of summer, 
 eating very little either in the spring or autumn. 
 Milky plants, such as lettuces, dandelions, and 
 sowthistles, were its principal food. 
 
 Mr. White was much pleased with the saga- 
 city of the above-mentioned animal, in distin- 
 guishing those persons from whom it was accus- 
 tomed to receive attention. Whenever the good 
 old lady came in sight, who had waited on it 
 for more than thirty years, it always hobbled, 
 with all the alacrity it could use, towards its 
 benefactress, whilst to strangers it was altogether 
 inattentive. Thus, not only " the ox knoweth his 
 owner and the ass his master's crib," but the most 
 torpid of creatures distinguished the hand that 
 fed it, and exhibited marks of gratitude not 
 always to be found in superior orders of animal 
 being. It never stirred out after dark, and very 
 frequently appeared abroad for a few hours 
 only in the middle of the day, in wet days it 
 never came at all from its retreat. Although 
 this Tortoise loved warm weather, yet he care- 
 fully avoided the hot. sun, since his thick shell, 
 when once heated, must have become extremely 
 painful, and probably dangerous to him. He 
 therefore spent the more sultry hours under the 
 shade of a large cabbage leaf, or amidst the 
 waving stems of an asparagus bed. But, as 
 he endeavoured to avoid the heat in the summer, 
 he impwved the faint autumnal beams by get-
 
 13 
 
 ting within the reflection of a fruit-tree wall ; 
 and taught by that wonderful instinct with which 
 kind Providence endues all animals,ihe frequently 
 inclined his shell, by tilting it against the wall, 
 to collect and admit every feeble ray. 
 
 This animal was at last given to Mr. White, 
 and in the month of March, 1780, he dug it 
 out of its winter residence in order to convey 
 it to his own house in Hampshire. The spring was 
 a backward one ; but the animal was become 
 sufficiently recovered from its torpidity to ex- 
 press its resentment for the disturbance, by hiss- 
 ing. It was packed in a box, and carried 
 eighty miles in post-chaises. The rattle and 
 hurry of the journey so roused it, that, when it 
 was turned out on a border in Mr. White's gar- 
 den, it walked twice down to the bottom. In 
 the evening, however, the weather being cold, 
 it buried itself in the loose mould, and remained 
 concealed for above a month. Towards the 
 time of its coming forth, it opened a breathing 
 place in the ground near its head, requiring, no 
 doubt, a free respiration as it became more 
 lively. On the twenty-first of April, it heaved 
 up the mould and put out its head ; and on the 
 following morning, issued forth from its retreat, 
 and walked about until four o'clock in the after- 
 noon. 
 
 The Great Mediterranean Turtle is the 
 largest of the turtle kind with which we are ac- 
 quainted. It is found from five to eight feet 
 B 2
 
 14 
 
 long, and from six to nine hundred pounds 
 weight. But, unluckily, its utility bears no 
 proportion to its size ; as it LS> untit foY food, and 
 sometimes poisons those who eat it. The shell 
 also, which is a tough strong; integument, re- 
 sembling a hide, is unfit tor all ^rviceable pur- 
 poses. One of these animal* was taken in the 
 year 1729, at the mouth of the Loire, a river 
 of France, in nets that were not designed for so 
 large a capture. This Turtle, which was of 
 enormoas strength, by its own struggles involved 
 itself in the nets in such a manner as to be in- 
 capable of doing mischief: yet, even thus 
 shackled, it appeared terrible to the fishermen, 
 who were at first for flying; hot finding it im- 
 potent, they gathered courage to drag it on shore, 
 where it made a most horrible bellowing; and 
 was to be heard at half a mile's distance. 
 They were still further intimidated by its nause- 
 ous and pestilential breath, which so powerfully 
 affected them, that they were near fainting. 
 This animal wanted but four inches of being 
 eight feet long, and was above two feet broad 9 
 its shell more resembled leather than the shell of 
 a tortoise ; and, unlike all'other animals of this 
 .kind, it was furnished with teeth in etehjaw, 
 one rank behind another, like those of a\feark : 
 its feet also, different from the rest of this k>nd, 
 wanted claws ; and the tail was quite disengaged 
 from the shell, and fifteen inches long, more re- 
 sembling that of a quadruped than a Tortoise.
 
 15 
 
 This animal was then unknown upon the ceasts 
 of France ; and was supposed to hare been 
 brought into the European seas, in som In- 
 dia ship that was wrecked upon her return. 
 Since that, however, two or three of these ani- 
 jnal.s have been taken upon the coasts ; two in 
 particular on those of Cornwall, in the year 
 1 756, the largest of which weighed eight hun- 
 dred pounds ; and one upon the Isle of Rhea, 
 but two years before, that weighed between 
 seven and eight hundred. One, most probably 
 of this kind also, was caught near Scarborough, 
 in England, and a good deal of company was 
 invited to feast upon it , a gentleman, who was 
 .one of the guests, told the company that it was 
 a Mediterranean Turtle, and not wholesome ; 
 but a person who was willing to satisfy his ap- 
 petite at the risk of his life, eat of it; he was 
 seized with a violent vomiting and purging ; 
 but his constitution overpowered the malignity 
 of the poison. 
 
 Theso^ however, are a formidable and useless 
 kind, if compared to theTunle caught in the South 
 Seas and the Indian Ocean. These are of different 
 kinds ; not only unlike each other in form, but 
 furnishing man with very different advantages. 
 They are usually distinguished by sailors into 
 four kinds; the Trunk Turtle, the Loggerhead, 
 the Hawkshil], and the Green Turtle. 
 
 The Trunk Turtle is commonly larger than 
 
 a
 
 16 
 
 the rest, and its back higher and rounder. The 
 flesh of this is rank, and not very wholesome. 
 
 The Loggerhead is so called from the large- 
 ness of its head, which is much bigger in pro- 
 portion than that of the other kinds." The flesh 
 of this also is very rank, and not eaten but int 
 case of necessity. 
 
 The Hawksbill Turtle is the leaet of the four, 
 and has a long and small mouth, somewhat re- 
 sembling the bill of an hawk. The flesh of 
 this is also very indifferent eating ; but the shell 
 serves for the most valuable purposes. This is 
 the animal that supplies the Tortoise-shell, 
 of which such a variety of beautiful trinkets 
 are made. The substance of which the shells 
 of other Turtles are composed, is thin and 
 porous ; but that of the Hawksbill is firm, and, 
 when polished, ia beautifully marbled. They 
 generally carry about three pounds ; but the 
 largest of all six pounds. The shell consists, 
 as in all the kinds, of thirteen leave?, or plates, 
 of which eight are flat, and five hoHow. They 
 arc raised and taken off by means of fire, which 
 is made under the shell, after the flesh is taken 
 out. As soon as the heat affects the leaves, 
 they start from the ribs, and are easily raised 
 with the point .of a knife. By being scraped 
 and polished on both sides, they become beauti- 
 fully transparent; or are easily cast into what- 
 tyer form the workmen thinks proper, by mak- 
 ing them soft and pliant in warm water, and then
 
 17 
 
 screwing them in a mould, like a medal : how- 
 ever, the shell is most beautiful before it under- 
 goes this last operation. 
 
 The green Turtle; which has so long, been es- 
 teemed as an article of luxury by the rich, is so nam- 
 ed, from the green colour of its fat. It abounds in the 
 West Indies to such a degree, that Catesby says,40 
 sloops are employed by the inhabitants of Port 
 Royal in Jamaica, for the sole purpose of catch- 
 ing them ; and that the markets are there sup- 
 plied with turtles, as ours are with butcher's 
 meat. It is found also, in great quantities, on 
 the coasts of all the other islands and continents 
 in the middle parts of the earth. These places 
 produce vast quantities of sea plants, which 
 though covered by the water, are near enough 
 to the surface to be readily seen by the naked 
 eye, in calm weather ; amidst these sub-marine 
 pastures, great numbers of green turtle are of- 
 ten seen, feeding quietly on the plants which 
 are produced there. 
 
 The length of the green Turtle is sometimes 
 upwards of six feet, arid the weight five or six 
 hundred pounds. Dampier mentions an im- 
 mensely large one that was caught at Port-Royal, 
 in the Bay of Campeachy. It was nearly six 
 feet in width, and four feet in thickness. A 
 son of Captain Roch. a boy about ten years 
 old, went in the shell, as in a boat, from the 
 shore to his father's ship, lying about a quar- 
 ter of a mile distant. 
 
 B3
 
 18 
 
 After having satisfied ifs appetite upon 
 the grass, sea weed, and other plants which 
 grow at the bo'.tom, the turtle often times retires 
 to the fresh water, at th mouth of the great riv- 
 ers, where it floats on the surface, holding its 
 head above, for the purpose of brealhiug the 
 fresh air. But as it is surrounded with many 
 dangers, both from its enemies of the deep and 
 from mankind, it is obliged to use great precau- 
 tion in thus indulging itself with cool air, and 
 with the refreshing streams of river water. The 
 instant it perceives even the shadow of an ob- 
 ject, from which it suspects danger, it dives to 
 the bottom for security. 
 
 The account which Cafesby has given respect- 
 ing the manner in which the inhabitants of the 
 Bahama islands, in the West Indies, catch 
 their turtles, is very satisfactory. 4 * These 
 people," he says, " go out in the month of 
 April, in little boats, to Cuba, and other neigh- 
 bouring islands, where in the evening, especially 
 in moonlight nights, they watch the going and 
 returning of the turtle to and from their nests, 
 at which time, they turn them on their bac&s, 
 when they leave them and pass on, turning all 
 they find ; some are so large that it requires 
 three men to turn one of them, and these must 
 often employ even handspikes, for that purpose. 
 Once they are laid on their bae.k, the upper 
 shell is so flat, that they are quite helpless, and 
 can never more recover tjieir feet.''
 
 19 
 
 But many turtles are lakftn not on land but 
 in the sea, and at a considerable distance from 
 the shore. Those are struck with a kind of 
 spear, whose shaft i about lour yards in length. 
 For this work, two men usually get into a simill 
 and light boat, or canoe, one to paddle if gently 
 along, and steer, and the other to stand at the 
 head with his weapon. Sometimes the Tur- 
 tles are discovered swimming with their head 
 and back out of water ; but they are most com- 
 monly seen lying at the bottom, where the wa- 
 ter is a fathom or more in depth. If the ani- 
 mal perceives that he is discovered, he im- 
 mediately attempts to escape. The men pursue 
 and endeavour to keep him in sight, and gene- 
 rally so far tire him, that, in the course of half 
 ao hour, he sinks to the bottom, which affords 
 them an opportunity to strike him with the spear 
 through -the shelJ. The head of the spear, which 
 now slips off and is loft in his body, is fastened 
 with a string to the pole ; and by means of this 
 apparatus, they are enabled 10 pursue him, if 
 he should not be sufficiently spent without : if 
 however, that is the case, be tamely submits to 
 be taken into the boat, or hauled ashore. 
 
 In some parts of the South Seas, a peculiarly 
 dexterous method is adopted of catching Turtlei. 
 A bold diver throws himself into the water, at 
 some distance from the place where the Turtles 
 are observed floating asleep on the surface. He 
 dives under the animals, and rising gently be-
 
 20 
 
 Kind one of them, seicet the upper shell just be- 
 hinjj lift ta8, aid pressing down the hinder part 
 in the water, obliges the fore-part of the animal 
 BOW awakened, te keep upright, and thus pre- 
 vents it from diving, until his companions come 
 with a boat, and take him and his prey on board. 
 
 Green Turtles are sometimes caught on the 
 European shores, driven thither by stress of 
 weather. In the year 1752, one, six feet long 
 and four broad, weighing betwixt eight and nine 
 hundred pounds, was caught in the harbour of 
 Dieppe, after a storm. In 1754, a still larger 
 one, upwards of eight feet long, was caught 
 Bear Antioche, and was carried to the abbey 
 of Long-veau, near Vannes, in Brittany; and 
 a fw years ago a small one was caught amongst 
 the submarine rocks nrar Christchurch, Hants. 
 
 The introduction of the Turtle, as an article 
 of luxury, into England, appears to have taken 
 f\3w. within the last seventy years. We im- 
 part them principally, if not entirely, from the 
 We* India islands.
 
 21 
 
 THE COMMON FROG. 
 
 IT is not necessary to enter into a minute 
 description of an animal so well known as the 
 Frog. Its whole appearance is lively, and its 
 form by no means inelegant. The limbs are 
 well calculated for aiding the peculiar motions 
 of the animal, and its webbed hind feet for 
 assisting its progress in the water, to which it 
 occasionally retires during the heats of summer, 
 and again in the frosts of winter. During the 
 latter period, and till the return of warm wea- 
 ther, it lies in a ttate of torpor, either deeply 
 plunged in the soft mud at the bottom ot stag- 
 nant waters, or in the hollows beneath iheir 
 banks. Immediately on coming forth in the 
 spring, they change their skin, and this opera- 
 tion they repeat, generally about every eight or 
 ten days, through the whole summer. The old 
 skin, after it is entirely separated from the 
 body, resembles rather a kind of thin mucus, 
 than a membrane. 
 
 The spawn of this Frog,which is generally cast 
 in the month of March, consists of a clustered 
 mass of jelly-like transparent, and round eggs, 
 from six hundred to a thousand in number, in 
 the middle of each of which, is contained the 
 embryo or tadpole, in the form of a black speck. 
 This at first sinks to the bottom of the water ; 
 but when tht eggs begin to enlarge, in oonse*
 
 22 
 
 *juence of becoming proportionally lighter, it rises 
 to thefsurlace. About the thirty-ninth day, the 
 little annuals begin to have motion. They are 
 then so perfectly unlike the Frog in its complete 
 state, that no person could suppose any relation- 
 ship existed between them. The Tadpole ap- 
 pears to consist merely of head and tail, the 
 former large, black aad roundish, the latter 
 slender and bordered with a broad transparent 
 tinny margin. At first it quits the matter in 
 \vhich it was enclosed only occasionally, as if to 
 try its strength, and soon afterwards returns, 
 apparently for the double purpose of retreat and 
 nourishment, 
 
 When the animal is about six weeks old, the 
 hind. legs appear, and in about a fortnighf, these 
 are succeeded by the fore-legs. The animal 
 now bears a kind of ambiguous appearance, 
 partaking of the forai of a Frog and a Lizard. 
 The tail, at this period, begins to decrease, 
 at first very gradually ^ and at length o rapidly, 
 as to disappear in the space of a day or two 
 afterwards ; the form is then completed, and 
 the animal for the first time, ventures upon 
 land. 
 
 With this wonderful change of body, the 
 animals also change their food, and instead of 
 their former vegetable diet, live upon the smaller 
 species of snails, worms, and insects; the struc- 
 ture of their tongue is admirably adapted for 
 seizing and securing this prey, the root is
 
 23 
 
 attached to the fore-part of the mouth, so that 
 when unemployed, it lies with the tip towards 
 the throat. The animal by this singular contri- 
 vance, is enabled to bend it to a considerable 
 distance out of its mouth. When it is about 
 to seize oil any object, it darts it out with great 
 agility, and the prey is secured 0n its broad 
 and jagged gluey extremity. This it swallows 
 with so instantaneous a motion, that the eye can 
 scarcely follow it. Nothing, however, can ap- 
 pear more awkward than a Frog engaged with 
 a large worm or small snake ; lor nature seems 
 to have put a restraint upon the voracity of 
 these animals, by forming them very inaptly 
 for seizing and holding their larger prey. Dr. 
 Townson had a large Frog, that one day swal- 
 lowed in his presence a blind-worm, near a 
 span long, which in its struggles frequently got 
 half its body out again ; and when completely 
 swallowed, its contortions were very visible 
 in the flaccid sides of its victor. 
 
 About the end of July, when the young Frogs 
 have entirely laid aside their tadpole shape, 
 they quit the water, and soon afterwards emi- 
 grate into the woods and meadows. The com* 
 mencement of their journey is always in the 
 evening. They travel all night, and conceal 
 themselves during the day, under stones, -or in 
 other recesses ; and resume their journey only 
 when the night begins. In the day time, how-
 
 24 
 
 ever, whenever it happens to rain, they always 
 come out of their retreats, as if to refresh them- 
 selves in the falling moisture. Mr. Ray informs 
 us, that as he was riding one afternoon in 
 Berkshire, he was much surprised at seeing an 
 immense multitude of Frogs crossing the road. 
 On further examination, he found two or three 
 acres of ground nearly covered with them ; they 
 were all proceeding in the same direction, to- 
 wards some woods and ditches that were before 
 them. He traced them back to the side of a 
 very large pond, which in the spawning-time, 
 he was informed, always so much abounded 
 with Frogs, that their croaking was frequently 
 heard at a great distance. 
 
 However singular it may appear, the fact 
 is well ascertained, that Frogs will sometimes 
 fasten upon the backs of fish, so as not to be 
 easily disengaged. Mr. Pennant mentions that 
 in a pond in Dorsetshire, great numbers of 
 Carp were found, each having one of those 
 animals clinging to it ; the hind legs were upon 
 the back, and the fore legs attached to the cor- 
 ner of each eye ; the Carp also was much was- 
 ted away, being teased by its little persecutor. 
 
 Frogs are numerous throughout Europe, 
 and in the parts of America, about Hudson's 
 Bay, as far north as latitude 61 deg. They 
 frequent there the margins of lakes, ponds, 
 rivers, and swamps; and, as the winter ap- 
 proaches, thy burrow under the moss, at a
 
 25 
 
 considerable distance from the water, where 
 they remain in a frozen state till spring. Mr. 
 Hearne says, he has frequently seen them dug 
 up with the moss, frozen as hard as ice. la 
 thig state, their legs are as easily brokenfoff as 
 the stem of a tobacco-pipe, without giving 
 them the least sensation : but, by wrapping them 
 up in warm skins, and exposing them to a slow 
 fire, they soon come to life, and the mutilated 
 animals gain their usual activity. If, however, 
 they are permitted to freeze again, they are 
 past all recovery. 
 
 The croaking of Frogs is well known io all 
 persons in the country, who live in the neigh- 
 bourhood of marshy lands. In the fens of Lin- 
 colnshire, in England, these animals have, in 
 consequence of this noise, received, among the 
 common people, the appellation of Dutch 
 Nightingales. For a whole month, in the heat of 
 summer, they, however, become entirely silent ; 
 and this period is called by the country people 
 of many parts of England, the Paddock Moon. 
 
 There is another kind of Frog considerably 
 larger than the one we have been describing, 
 which is made use of as an article of food on the 
 Continent, and is acknowledged by all who can 
 overcome their prejudices, to be both nutritive 
 and delicate. Its colour is an olive green, 
 distinctly marked with black patches on the 
 back, and on its limbs with cros bare of the 
 same. From the tip of the nose, three distinct
 
 26 
 
 stripes of pale yellow extend to the extremity 
 of the body, the middle one slightly depressed", 
 and the side ones considerably elevated. 
 The under parts are of a pale whitish colour, 
 tinged with green, and marked with irregular 
 brown spots. 
 
 Tiiese creatures are brought from the country 
 thirty or forty thousand at a time, to Vienna, 
 and other great towns on the continent, and 
 sold to the great dealers, who have conservato- 
 ries for them, which are large holes, four or 
 five feet deep, dug in the ground, the mouth ' 
 covered with a board, and in severe weather 
 with straw. In these conservatories, eyen dur- 
 ing a hard frost, the Frogs never become quite 
 torpid. When taken out atul placed on their 
 backs, they are always sensible of the change, 
 and have strength enough to turn themselves. 
 They instinctively get together in heaps, one 
 upon another, and thereby remain fresh and 
 moist; for no water is ever put to them. lu 
 Vienna, in the year 179.3, there were only 
 three great dealers ; by whom most of those 
 persons were supplied who brought them to the 
 market ready for the cook. 
 
 The Edible Frogs are caught in various 
 ways : sometimes in the night, by means af 
 nets, collecting together round the light of tor- 
 ches carried out for the purpose ; or sometimes 
 by hooks, baited with worms, insects, fle.sh, 
 or even a bit of red cloth. Being exceedingly
 
 27 
 
 voracious, they seize greedily, every thing that 
 moves, and, when onee they have fixed, they 
 keep thir hold with great obstinacy. In Swit- 
 zerland, they are caught by means of large rakes, 
 with long 1 , close-set teeth, which are thrown 
 into the water, and drawn suddenly out again. 
 
 The Frogs already described, however, can- 
 not be compared in size with the Bull Frog, 
 which frequently measures a foot and a halt, 
 or upwards, from the nose to the hind feet. In 
 Virginia, in North America, they are in such 
 abundance, that there is scarcely any where a 
 spring that hag not a pair of them. When sud- 
 denly surprised, by a long leap or two, they 
 ,nter the hole, at the bottom of which they lie 
 perfectly secure. 
 
 Their croaking somewhat resembles the hoarse 
 lowing of a bull; and, in a calm night, when many 
 of them are making a noise together, they may 
 be heard to the distance of a mile mid a haif. 
 The night is the time when they croak, and 
 they are said to do it at intervals. In this act, 
 .they are either hidden among the grass or rushes, 
 or they are in the water, with their heads above 
 the surface. Kalm informs us, that as he was 
 one day riding out, he heard one of them roaring 
 .before him, and supposed it to be a bull hidden 
 in the bushes at a ^itlle distance. The voice 
 was indeed more hoarse than that of a bull, yet, 
 it was much too loud for him to conceive that it 
 could be emitted by so small an animal as a
 
 Frog, and he was in considerable alarm for his 
 safety. He was undeceived a few hours after- 
 wards, by a party of Swedes, to whom he had 
 communicated his fears. 
 
 When alarmed, they leap to a most sur- 
 prising distance at each exertion. A full-grown 
 Bull Frog will sometimes leap three yards. 
 The following story respecting one of them is 
 well authenticated. The American Indians are 
 known to be excellent runners, being almost 
 able to equal the best horse in its swiftest 
 course. In order, therefore, to try how well 
 the Bull Frogs could leap, some Swedes laid a 
 wager with a young Indian that he could not 
 overtake one of them, provided it had two leaps 
 beforehand. They carried a Bull Frog, which 
 they had caught in a pond, into a field, and 
 then let it go. The fright, and the Indian who 
 endeavoured to outrun the Frpg, had together 
 such an effect upon the animal, that it made its 
 long leaps across the field as fast as it could. 
 The Indian pursued it with all his might. The 
 noise he made in running, frightened the 
 Frog: it, therefore, redoubled its leaps, and, 
 by that means, reached the pond, which was 
 fixed on as their goal, before the Indian could 
 overtake it. * 
 
 Were it not for the deeply rooted prejudices 
 which are imbibed, during childhood, against 
 all the animals of the Frog tribe, the beauty 
 of colour, and the elegance of motion of the
 
 29 
 
 Green Tree Frog are such, that it would afford 
 delight to every beholder. During the summer 
 months, it resides principally on the upper 
 branches of the trees, where it wanders among 
 the foliage in quest of insects. These it catches 
 with great dexterity, stealing softly towards them, 
 as a cat does towards a mouse, till at a proper 
 distance, when it makes a sudden spring upon 
 them, of frequently more than two feet in 
 height. vlt often suspends itself by its feet, or 
 abdomen, to the under parts of leaves ; and, 
 in this position, remains concealed among the 
 foliage. 
 
 Although during summer it inhabits the 
 woods, yet, about the end of autumn, it retires 
 to the waters, and lies concealed in a torpid 
 state, in the mud, or under the banks, till the 
 spring. At the return of warm weather, it comes 
 forth, like the rest of its tribe, in order to 
 deposit its spawn in the water. This is done 
 about the end of April, or the beginning of 
 May ; and, as soon as the operation is over, 
 the animalg return to their accustomed haunts in 
 the trees. The offspring continue until the 
 month of August in their tadpole state. 
 
 During the breeding season, the male inflates 
 his throat in a very surprising manne,| so, in- 
 deed, as to form a tolerably large sphere be- 
 neath his head. He then, also, exerts a very 
 rough croak, that may be heard to a vast dis- 
 tance. Whenever tne of them begins, all that
 
 30 
 
 are wiihin'hearing, join in (his discordant cho- 
 rus ; and ihe whole is so Joud, as almost to re- 
 semble the noise of a pack of hounds : this, in 
 still evenings, especially just before rain, when 
 they most exert themselves, has been plainly 
 heard nearly three miles. They are said to be 
 so excellent as barometers, lhat, if kept in? 
 glasses in a room, and supplied with proper 
 food, they will afford a sure presage of changes 
 in the weather. 
 
 In order to make some observations on the 
 respiration of the Rrptile tribe, Dr. Townsoi> 
 had, among others, some Tree-Frogs, ^He 
 kept them in a window, and appropriated to 
 their use. a bowl of water, in which they lived. 
 The} soon grew quite tame ; and to two. that 
 he had for a considerable time, and were parti- 
 cular favourites, he gave the names of Damon 
 and Muaidora. In the hoi weather, whenever 
 they descended to the floor, they soon became 
 lank and emaciated. In the evening, they sel- 
 dom failed to go into the water, unless the wea. 
 ther was cold and damp ; in which case, they 
 would sometimes remain out for a couple of 
 days. When they were out of the water, if a 
 few drops were thrown upon the board,, they 
 always applied their bodies as close to it as they 
 could: and. from this absorption through the 
 skin, though they were flaccid before, they soon 
 again appeared plump. A Tree-Frog tl-at had 
 not been in water during the night, was
 
 31 
 
 weighed, and then immersed; after it hadie- 
 inained about half an hour in the bowl it came 
 out, and was found to have absorbed nearly half 
 its own weight of water. From other experi- 
 ments on the Tree-Frogs, it was discovered, 
 that they frequently absorbed nearly their whole 
 weight of water ; and that, as was clearly 
 proved, and is very remarkable, by the under 
 surface onfy of the body. They will even ab- 
 sorb moisture from wetted blotting-paper. Some- 
 times they throw out water with considerable 
 force from their bodies, to the quantity of a 
 fourth part or more of their owp weight. 
 
 Both Frogs and Toads will frequently suffer 
 Iheir natural food to remain before them un- 
 touched, yet, on the smallest motion it makes, 
 they instantly seize if. A knowledge of this 
 circumstance, enabled Dr. Townson to feed his 
 favourite Tree-Frog, Musidora, through the 
 winter. Before the flies, which were her usual 
 food, had disappeared in autumn, he collected 
 for her a great quantity, as winter provision. 
 When he laid any of them before her, she took 
 no notice of them ; but the moment he moved 
 them with his breath, she sprung upon and ate 
 them. Once, when flies were scarce, the Doc- 
 tor cut some flesh of a tortoise into small pieces, 
 and moved them by the same means. She seized 
 them, but the instant afterwards rejected them 
 from her tongue. After he had obtained her 
 eonfidenee, she ate, from his fingers,, dead as
 
 32 
 
 well as living flies. Frogs will leap at a mov- 
 ing shadow of any small object ; and both Frogs 
 and Toads will soon become sufficiently familiar 
 to sit on the hand, and be carried from one side 
 of the room to the other, in order to catch flies 
 as they settle on the wall. At Gottingen, Dr. 
 Townson made them his guards for keeping 
 these troublesome creatures from his desert of 
 fruit, and they acquitted themselves to his satis- 
 faction. He has even seen the small Tree-Frogs 
 eat humble bees, but this was never done with- 
 out some contest: they are. in general, obliged 
 to reject them, being incommoded by their stings 
 and hairy roughness ; but, in each attempt, the 
 bee is further covered with the viscid matter 
 from the Frog's tongue, and when sufficiently 
 coated with this, it is easily swallowed. 
 
 A Tree-Fro? was kept by a surgeon in Ger- 
 many, for nearly eight years. He had it in a 
 glass vessel covered with a net, and during the 
 summer he fed it with flies ; but in winter, it 
 probably did not eat at all, as only a few in- 
 sects, with grass and moistened hay, were put 
 to it. During this season, it was lean and ema- 
 ciated ; but in summer, when its favourite food 
 could be had in plenty, it soon again became 
 fat. In the eighth winter, it pined away by de- 
 grees, as was supposed, on account of no in- 
 sects whatever being to be had. 
 
 As Captain Skedman was sailing up one of
 
 the rivers of Surinam, in a canoe, one of the 
 officers who was with him, observed, on the top 
 of a mangrove tree, a battle between a Snake 
 and a Tree-Frog. When the captain first per- 
 ceived them, the head and shoulders of the 
 Frog were in the jaws of the Snake, which was 
 about the size of a large kitchen poker. This 
 creature had its tail twisted round a tough limb 
 of the mangrove ; whilst the Frog, which ap- 
 peared about the size of a man's fist, had laid 
 hold of a twig with his hind-feet, In this posi- 
 tion they were contending, (he one for life, the 
 other for his prey, forming one straight line 
 between the two branches: and thus they conti- 
 ued for some time, apparently stationary, and 
 without a struggle. Still it was hoped that the 
 poor Frog might extricate himself by his exer- 
 tions: but the reverse was the case. The jaws 
 of the snake gradually relaxing, and by their 
 elasticity forming an incredible orifice, the body 
 and fore-legs of the Frog, by little and little, 
 disappeared, till finally nothing more was seen 
 than the hinder feet and claws, which were at 
 last disengaged from the twig, and the poor 
 creature was swallowed whole, by suction, 
 down the throat of his formidable adversan r . 
 He passed some inches down the alimentary 
 canal, and at last stuck, forming a knob or knot, 
 at least six times as thick as the snake, whose 
 jaws and throat immediately contracted, and 
 C
 
 34 
 
 fesumed thejr former natu/al shape. The snake 
 being out of r&ftch of musket shot, they could 
 not kill him in order to make further examination, 
 but left him, continuing in the same attitude, 
 motionless, and twisted round the branch. 
 
 This Frog is a native of various parts of 
 America; of France, Germany, Italy, and 
 many other European countries, but is not found 
 in Great Britain, or Ireland.
 
 THE TOAD. 
 
 AS the toad bears a general resemblance or fi- 
 gure to the frog, so also it resembles that ani- 
 mal in its nature and appetites. Like the frog, 
 the toad is amphibious; like that animal, it lires 
 upon worms and insects, which it seizes by dart- 
 ing out its length of tongue; and in the same 
 manner, also, it crawls about in moist weather. 
 It is not an animal found in Ireland. 
 
 In some countries, as at Cartbagena, and 
 Porto Bello in America, Toads are so extremely 
 numerous, that, in rainy weather, not only all 
 the marshy ground, but the gardens, courts, and 
 streets, are almost covered with them ; so much 
 so, that many of the inhabitants absurdly be- 
 lieve, that every drop of rain is converted into 
 a Toad. In these countries, this animal is of 
 considerable size, the smallest individuals mea- 
 suring at least six inches in length. If it happen 
 to rain during the night, all the Toads quit 
 their hiding places, and then crawl about in 
 such inconceivable numbers, as almost laterally 
 to touch each other, and to hide the surface of 
 tne/'earth : on such occasions it is impossible to 
 stir out of doors without trampling them under- 
 foot at every step. 
 
 The female Toads deposi$ thdir spawn early 
 in the spring, ip the form of np^lajG^lilse chains 
 or strings of beautifully transparent ghie, three
 
 36 
 
 or four feet in length, inclosing the eggs in a 
 double row throughout. These have the ap- 
 pearance of so many jet-black globules : they 
 are, however, nothing more than the larvae or 
 tadpoles lying in a globular form, which break 
 from their confinement in about a fortnight, and 
 afterwards undergo changes similar to the 
 " tadpoles of the frog. They become complete 
 towards the beginning of autumn, about which 
 time, the young animals are frequently to be 
 eeen in a moi^t summer's evening, crawling up, 
 by myriads, from fenny places into situations 
 somewhat more dry. There, having found out a 
 retreat, or each having termed one for itself, 
 they lead a solitary life, seldom venturing 
 abroad except in moist evenings. At this pe- 
 riod of the year, jthey have a sufficient supply of 
 food, in the snails and worms with which the 
 grass and pathways are then covered. 
 
 When it i^ irritated, the Toad emits from 
 various parts of its skin, a kind of frothy fluid, 
 which, in our climate, produces no further un- 
 pleasant symptoms than slight inflammation, from 
 iis weakly acrimonious nature. Dogs, on seiz- 
 ing these animals, appear to be effected with a 
 slight swelling in their mouth, accompanied by 
 an increased discharge of saliva. The limpid 
 fluid which the Toad suddenly ejects from hi* 
 body, when o^smrbed, has been ascertained to 
 be perfectly free from any noxious qualities what- 
 ever. It is merely a watery liquor, the con-
 
 37 
 
 tents of a peculiar reservoir, that, in case of alarm, 
 appears to be emptied in order to lighten the 
 body, that the animal may the more readily 
 escape. It is its forbidding aspect only that has 
 obtained for the Toad its present unjust charac- 
 ter of being a dangerously poisonous animal, 
 It is persecuted and murdered wherever it ap- 
 pears, on the supposition merely that because 
 it is ugly, it must in consequence be venomous. 
 Its eyes are, however, proverbially beautiful, 
 having a brilliant, reddish^ gold-coloured ins 
 surrounding ihe dark pupil, and forming a strik- 
 ing contrast with the remainder of its body. 
 
 It is 110 difficult task, singular as it may ap- 
 pear to those who have never attended to this 
 animal, to render it so tame, that it may be 
 taken up into the hand, and carried about a 
 room to catch the flies that alight on the walls, 
 as we have already mentioned in tie account of 
 the Tree-Frog. A correspondent of Mr. Pennant 
 supplied him with some curious particulars re- 
 specting a domestic Toad, which continued in the 
 same place for upwards of thirty-six years. 
 It frequented the steps before the hall-door of a 
 gentleman's house in Devonshire. By being 
 constantly fed, it was rendered so tame as al- 
 ways to come out of its hole in an evening when 
 a candle was brought, and to look up, as if ex- 
 pecting to be carried into the bouse,where it was 
 frequently fed with insects. It appeared most 
 partial to flesh maggots, which wwe kept for 
 c 2
 
 33 
 
 it ia bran. It would follow them on the table ? 
 and, when within a proper distance, would fix 
 its eyes and remain motionless for a little while, 
 apparently to prepare for the stroke, which was 
 instantaneous. It threw out its tongue to a 
 great distance, and the insect, stuck by the 
 glutinous matter to its tip, was swallowed by a 
 motion quicker than the eje could follow. Af- 
 ter being kept above thirty-six years, it was at 
 length destroyed by a tame raven, which ont 
 day, seeing it at the mouth of its hole, pulled 
 it out, and so wounded it, that it died in con- 
 sequence. 
 
 Like the rest of the animals of its tribe, the 
 Toad becomes torpid towards the conclusion of 
 the autumn, and remains so dunng all the win- 
 ter months. The place of its retreat, is either 
 in the cleft cf some rock, under the hollow root 
 of a tree, or amongst the mud at the bottom of 
 stagnant pool*. 
 
 Of the Toad we have a property recorded, 
 more astonishing than what is mentioned of most 
 other animals, that of continuing alive for cen- 
 turies, enclosed in solid substances. Although 
 we should always be very slow in yielding our 
 belief to what appears marvellous, we have too 
 many respectable authorities for the fact, and 
 too frequent instances of its recurrence, to allow 
 us to doubt its truth. 
 
 The following are a few of the best authenti- 
 cated of these : In the year 1719, M. Hubert,
 
 39 
 
 Professor of Philosophy at Caen, was witness 
 to a livingToad being taken from the solid trunk 
 of an elm tree, It was lodged exactly in the cen- 
 tre, and tilled the whole of the space that con- 
 tained it. The tree was, in every other respect, 
 perfectly firm and sound. Dr. Bradley saw a 
 Toad taken from the trunk of a large oak. In 
 the year 1733, a living Toad was discovered 
 by M. Graburg, in a hard and solid block of 
 stone, which had been dug up in a quarry in 
 Gothland. On being touched with a stick upon 
 the head, he informs us that it contracted its 
 eyes, as if asleep, and, when the stick was re- 
 moved, gradually opened th<jm. Its mouth had 
 no aperture, but was closed round by a yellow- 
 ish skin. On being pressed with a stick on the 
 back, a small quantity of clear water issued 
 from behind, and it immediately died. A liv- 
 ing Toad was found in a block of marble at an 
 old castle belonging to Lord Tankerville, twelve 
 miles from Alnwick, in Northumberland. A 
 stone-cutter, of the name of Charlton, found in 
 the Isle of Ely, a living Toad, enclosed in a 
 block of marble. The cavity in which it was 
 contained, was somewhat larger than, but nearly 
 of the figure of, the animal. The Toad seemed 
 in perfect health, although the marble was, 
 on all sides, several inches thick. 
 
 There is a kind of Toad called the Pipa, or 
 Surinam Toad, which is too strange a creature 
 not to require a particular notice. It is consi- 
 de,rably larger than the common Toad, kas a,
 
 THE SURINAM TOAD.
 
 41 
 
 flatfish body, and a triangular head. On the 
 back of the female there are certain cavities, 
 opening outward, and somewhat resembling 
 the cells of a bee-hive. They ate of a circular 
 form, about half an inch deep, and each nearly 
 a quarter of an inch in diameter. They are at 
 a little distance from each other, and somewhat 
 irregularly ranged. At a certain period of in* 
 cubation, if it may be so called, in each of these 
 cells is found a little live toad, an exact minia- 
 ture of its parent ; but how it finds subsistence 
 there, (for the creature has no adhesion to the 
 parent, but may be easily taken out, as from $ 
 case, and again replaced without injury,) 
 does not seem as yet to be fully ascertained. 
 Mr. Ferman, who has described this animal, 
 declares himself to have been an eye-witness 
 to the procedure. The eggs are generated 
 within the female, who, when they have at- 
 tained the proper degree of maturity, drops 
 them on the ground. The mule gathers together 
 the heap, and deposits them, with great care in 
 the cavities, on the back of the female, which 
 are, at that period, open for their reception^ 
 and which afterwards close over them. The 
 eggs remain in the cells until the second birth, 
 which takes place in somewhat less than three 
 months, when the young ones emerge from the 
 back of the parent, completely formed. Dur- 
 ing the time of concealment, they undergo the 
 usual change into the tadpole state, which they
 
 42 
 
 entirety put off before their fiual departure from 
 the body of the parent Toad After all the 
 young ones arc cump forth, the female rids her- 
 self of the cells, and at the same time of part 
 of her skin, by rubbing herself against stones or 
 vegetables, and the injured skin is soon re- 
 newed by a fresh growth. 
 
 In this singular production of its young, the 
 Pipa seems to bear a great resemblance to the 
 different species of opossum. 
 
 It would seem that the flesh of this Toad is 
 not unwholesome, as, according to Madame 
 Merian, the .negroes of Surinam eat of it with 
 pleasure, and suffer no inconvenience from its 
 use.
 
 43 
 
 THE CROCODILE. 
 
 TO look for the Crocodile in all its natural ter- 
 rors, grown to an enormous size, propagated 
 in surprising numbers, and committing unceasing 
 devastations, we must go to the uninhabited 
 regions of Africa and America, to those im- 
 mense rivers that roll through extensive and 
 desolate kingdoms, where the most powerful 
 animals exert their strength with confidence and 
 security. Those that sail up the river Amazons, 
 or the river Niger, well know how numerous 
 and terrible those animals are in such parts of 
 the world. There they indolently bask on the 
 surface, no way disturbed at the approach of an 
 enemy, since, from the repeated trials of their 
 strength, they found none they were not able 
 to subdue. 
 
 Of this terrible animal there are two kinds ; 
 the Crocodile found in Egypt and the waters 
 of the Nile, and the Alligator of South Ame- 
 rica. Travellers; however, have rather made 
 the distinction than nature ; and it would be 
 speaking more properly to call these animals 
 the Crocodiles of the eastern and the western 
 
 If we except the Elephant, the Hippopota- 
 mus, the Whale, and some of the enormous 
 Serpents, those are the largest animals that have 
 yet been discovered ; some of them have been
 
 44 
 
 known to attain the length of twenty-five feet and 
 upwards, and probably like fishes, their size con- 
 tinues to increase during their whole life. 
 
 The Crocodile has no lips ; so that even when 
 walking or swimming with the utmost tranquil- 
 lity, the teeth are bare, and the aspect seems 
 animated by rage. Another circumstance that 
 contributes to increase tUe terrific appearance 
 of its countenance, is the fiery glare of the eves ; 
 and tfiese. being situated near each other, have 
 also a malignant aspect. 
 
 The armour with which the Crocodile is elad, 
 may be accounted among the most elaborate 
 pieces of Nature's mechanism. In the full- 
 grown animal it is so strong, as easily to repel 
 a musket ball. On the lower parts it is much 
 thinner and more pliable than on the upper. The 
 whole animal appears as if covered with the 
 most regular, and curious carved work. The 
 colour of the full-grown Crocodile is blackish- 
 brown above, and yellowish-white beneath. 
 The upper parts of the legs and sides are varied 
 with deep yellow, somewhat tinged with green. 
 The mouth is of vast width, and furnished with 
 numerous sharp-pointed teeth, thirty or more 
 on each side of the jaws ; and these are so dis- 
 posed, as when the mouth is closed, to fit alter- 
 nately above and below. 
 
 In the water the Crocodile seems to enjoy his 
 whole strength with much greater advantage 
 than on land. In spite of his size, and his ap-
 
 THE CROCODILE. 
 
 D
 
 46 
 
 parent unvvieldiness, he moves about in the wa- 
 ter with considerable agility, oftentimes emitting 
 a kind of half-suppressed murmuring noise. Al- 
 though the great length of his body prevents him 
 from turning suddenly round, he swims forward 
 with astonishing velocity, when about to seize hi 
 prey. On land its motions are much more embar- 
 rassed, and he is consequently, there, a less dan- 
 gerous enemy. We are told of an Englishman, 
 who was pursued so quickly by a large Croco- 
 dile, which came out of one of the rivers of South 
 America, that unless the Spaniards who were 
 in his company, had cried out to him to quit the 
 straight road, and run in a circle, he must have 
 been caught. 
 
 Except when pressed by hunger, or with a 
 view of depositing its eggs, this enormous crea- 
 ture seldom leaves the water. Its usual method 
 is to float aloog upon the surface, (where it ap- 
 pears like a large piece of floating wood,) and 
 size whatever animals come within its reach ; 
 but, when this method fails, it then goes closer 
 to the bank- There it waits in patient expec- 
 tation of some land animal that may come to 
 drink ; the dog, ihe bull, the tiger, or man him- 
 self TV hen he can take him unawares. Nothing 
 is to be seen on their approach, nor is its retreat 
 discovered till it is too late for safety. It seizes 
 the victim with a spring, and goes at a bound 
 much farther than such an unwieldy animal could 
 be supposed capable of doing. Then having
 
 47 
 
 secured the prey, it drags it into the water, hi* 
 stantly sinks \vith it to the bottom, and, in this? 
 manner, quickly drowns it. Sometimes it 
 happens that the creature wounded by the Cro- 
 codile makes its escape ; in which case, the 
 latter pursues and often takes it a second time. 
 He seldom moves far from rivers, except in 
 covert and marshy places ; so that, in many parts 
 of the East, it is very dangerous to walk care- 
 lessly on the banks of unknown rivers, or among 
 sedgy grounds ; and still more so to bathe, with- 
 out the utmost circumspection, in unfrequented 
 pfacef. 
 
 It often happens, in its depredations along 
 the bank, that the Crocodile seizes on a creature 
 as formidable as itself, and meets with a most 
 desperate resistance. We are told of frequent 
 combats between the Crocodile and the tiger. 
 All creatures of the tiger kind, are continually 
 oppressed by a parching thirst that keeps them 
 in the vicinity of great rivers, whither they de- 
 scend to drink very frequently. It is upon these 
 occasions that they are seized by the Crocodile ; 
 and they die not unrevenged. The instant they are 
 seized upon, they turn with the greatest agility, 
 and force their claws into the Crocodile's eyes, 
 while he plunges with his fierce antagonist into 
 the river. There they continue to struggle for 
 some time, till at last the tiger is drowned. 
 
 It is man alone that can combat it with success, 
 and even he rnusl be prepared for the contest.
 
 48 
 
 We are assured by Labat, that a Negro, with 
 no other weapons than a knife in his right hand, 
 and his arm wrapped round with a cow hide, 
 ventures boldly to attack this animal in its own 
 element. As soon as he approaches ihe Cro- 
 codile, he presents his left arm, which the ani- 
 mal swallows most greedily ; and sticking in his 
 throat, the Negro has time to give it several 
 stabs under the throat ; and the water also 
 getting in it at the mouth, which is held invol- 
 untarily open, the -creature is soon bloated up 
 as big as a tun, and expires. 
 
 All the rivers of Guinea are infe.-ted with 
 vast shoals of Crocodiles. On hot days, great 
 numbers of them lie basking on the banks of 
 rivers, and as soon as they observe any one 
 approach, they plunge into the water. Mr. Ad- 
 anson says, that in the great river Senegal, on 
 the western coast of Africa, he has sometimes 
 seen more than two hundred of them swimming 
 together, with their heads just above water, re- 
 sembling a great number of trunks of trees float- 
 ing down the river. He gives the following 
 account of an engagement between a Negro and 
 a Crocodile seven ieet long, which the Negro 
 discovered sleeping among some bushes at the 
 foot of a tree, near the banks of a river. When 
 the man was convinced that the Crocodile was 
 asleep, he approached with great caution, and 
 gave him a deep wound with a knife on the side 
 of the neck-, the animal, though mortally wounded,
 
 49 
 
 struck the Negro so violently on the legs with 
 his tail as to knock him down ; but without 
 quitting his hold, he rose instantly and slipped 
 a cord over the muzzle of the Crocodile, while 
 one of his companions secured the tail. Mr. 
 Adansori then mounted on his back to hold him 
 down, while the Negro drew out the knife from 
 the wound and dispatched him. Except when 
 thus attacked, they seldom molest man. In the 
 neighbourhood of Thebes, the small boat, in 
 which M. Sonnini sailed up the river, was often 
 surrounded by Crocodiles on a level with the 
 surface. They observed the boat pass by them, 
 but with apparent indifference, discovering nei- 
 ther fear nor any cruel intention at its approach. 
 
 The French soldiers in Egypt are stated to 
 have set the Crocodiles at defiance. They were 
 not once attacked by them, nor did they ever 
 meet with a Crocodile, at a distance from the 
 river. It is probable that these animals find, in 
 the Nile itself, a sufficient quantity of food, which 
 is not difficult to be procured, and which, as in 
 all other cold blooded animals, they digest very 
 slowly. 
 
 The young of the Crocodile are produced 
 from eggs deposited in the sand, and hatched by 
 the heat of the sun, near the bank of some river 
 or lake. The female is said to be extremely 
 cautious in depositing them unobserved. The 
 general number is from eighty to a hundred. 
 They are not larger than a tennis ball, and are 
 D 2
 
 50 
 
 covered with a tough white skin. She fills up the 
 hole carefully before she leaves them, In each of 
 the two succeeding days, she lays as many more, 
 .which she hides in the same manner. The eggs are 
 hatched generally in about thirty days. The fetus 
 of Crocodiles are rolled up within the egg:, and 
 at ihe time when they break the shell, seldom 
 exceed six or seven inches in length. They 
 sometimes do this with their head, and sometimes 
 with thescaly roots or studs on the back. When they 
 come forth, they immediately run into the water T 
 where multitudes of them are devoured by various 
 k inds of fish, and even by the larger animals of their 
 own species. It is, however, in the destruc- 
 tion of their eggs, that the most material service 
 to mankind is effected. The ichneumon and 
 the vultures, seem peculiarly appointed by Pro- 
 vidence to abridge the enormous fecundity of the 
 Crocodiles, and, in this capacity, destroy and de- 
 vour millions of their eggs. 
 
 The vultures are ever found in greatest numbers 
 where the Crocodile is most numerous ; and hid- 
 ing themselves within the thick branches of the 
 trees that shade the banks of the river, they watch 
 the female in silence, and permit her to L.y all 
 her eggs without interruption. Then when she 
 has retired, they encourage each other with 
 cries to the spoil ; and flocking all logether upon 
 the hidden treasure, tear up the eggs, and de- 
 vour them in a much qnicker time than they were 
 deposited. Nor are they less diligent in attend-
 
 51 
 
 ing the fen*le while she is carrying her .young 
 to the water ; for if any one of thara happens fa 
 drop by the way, it is sure to receive no mercy. 
 
 The manner of taking the Crocodile in Siam, 
 is by throwing three or four strong nets across 
 a river, at proper distances from each other ; so 
 that if the animal breaks through the first, it 
 may be caught by one of the rest. When it 
 is first taken, it employs the tail, which is the 
 grand instrument of strength, with great force ; 
 after many unsuccessful struggles, the animal's 
 strength is at last exhausted. Then the natives 
 approach their prisoner in boats, and pierce him 
 with their weapons in the most tender parts till 
 he is weakened with the loss of blood. When 
 he has done stirring, they begin by tying up his 
 mouth, and with the same cord they fasten his 
 head to his tail, which last they beivd baok like a 
 bow. However, they are not yet perfectly se- 
 cure frem his fury; but, for their greater safety, 
 they tie his fore feet a well as those behind to 
 the top of his back. These precautions are not 
 useless ; far if they were to omit them, the Cro- 
 codile would soon recover strength enough to do 
 a great deal of mischief. 
 
 The king of Saba. on the slave coast of Africa, 
 at this day, has always two ponds filled with 
 Crocodiles. In the Rio San Domingo, likewise, 
 on the western coast of Africa, M. Brue was 
 astonished to find the Crocodiles, usually consi- 
 dered such ferocious animal*, perfectly harm-
 
 52 
 
 less, insomuch, that the children played \vith. 
 them, mounted on their backs, and even beat 
 them, without danger, or any appearance of 
 resentment, This gentleness of disposition, he 
 say., proceeds fro in their being kept always full 
 fed, and from the attention paid to them by the 
 natives ; for in all other parts or' Africa, they 
 attack indiscriminately men and other animals. 
 
 The eggs, and the flesh of the Crocodile, 
 particularly that of the tail and belly, are used 
 as food by the Negroes of Africa, and of several 
 f the Indian nations. This flesh is white ard 
 juicy, and is considered by these people as pe- 
 culiarly delicious. But such Europeans as have 
 ventured to eat of it, have been, for the most 
 part, disgusted by its strong musky flavour' 
 
 The voracity of the American Crocodile or 
 Alligator, is so great, that they sometimes do 
 not spare even mankind. A short time before 
 M. Navarette was at the Manillas, he was told 
 that, as a young woman was washing her feet 
 in one of the rivers, an Alligator seized and 
 carried her off. Her husband, to whom she had 
 been but that morning married, hearing her 
 screams, threw himself headlong into the water, 
 and with a dagger in his hand, pursued the rob- 
 ber. He overtook, and fought him with such 
 success, as to recover his wile : but, unfortun- 
 ately for her brave rescuer, she died before she 
 could be brought to the shore. 
 
 Where Alligators are very numerous, they
 
 53 
 
 will sometimes attempt to get into the canoes or 
 boats that pass their haunts during the night, in 
 order to destroy the passengers. M. de la Bor- 
 de, at Cayenne, says, he has seen them attempt 
 to raise themselves against the sides of small boats 
 in the river. He informs us also, that the Alli- 
 gators which inhabit the lakes of South America, 
 are sometimes left dry, in consequence of the 
 water evaporating. In this case, they are 
 forced to subsist by catching birds or land ani- 
 mals, or even to live a long time without food. 
 We are informed by Dampier, that the Alli- 
 gators about the Bay of Campeachy, (probably 
 from their having a full supply of food,) are by 
 no means so ferocious at they are represented to 
 be in other places. He never knew them attack 
 a man, but he has often seen them run away 
 from his sailors. He has drunk out of a pond 
 full of them, where the water was not even deep 
 enough to cover their backs, and the pond itself 
 so small, that he could get no water but by 
 coming within two yards of an Alligator's nose, 
 the animals lying all the while with their heads 
 towards him. Dampier and some of his men, 
 were one day passing through a swamp, two 
 or three feet deep in water, when they perceived 
 the strong scent of an Alligator. Presently 
 afterwards he stumbled over one and fell down. 
 He called out loudly to his companions for assis- 
 tance, but they ran off, as fast as their legs would 
 carry them, towards the woods. He had no 
 
 D3
 
 54 
 
 ^ooner recovered himself, than he stumbled over 
 the animal a second, and afterwards a third 
 time; but at last, though in the animal's own 
 element, got off in safety. This adventure had, 
 however, such an effect upon him, that he never 
 again went through any extensive water, whilst 
 jie remained in the Bay of Campeachy. 
 
 
 THE GUANA. 
 
 THE GUANA, which is an animal of the 
 Lizard tribe, is about five feet long, and the 
 body about as thick as one's thigh : the skin is 
 covered with small scales, like those of a ser- 
 pent ; and the back is furnished with a row of 
 prickles, that staid up, like (he teeth of a saw : 
 the eyes seem to be but half opened, except 
 when the animal is angry, and then they appear 
 large and sparkling : both the jaws are full of 
 very sharp teeth, and the bite is dangerous 1 hough 
 not venemous, for it never lets loose its hold till it 
 is killed. The male has a skin hanging under his 
 throat, which reaches down to his breast; and, 
 when displeased, he puffs it up like a bladder : 
 he is one third larger and stronger than the 
 female, though the strength of either avails them 
 little towards their defence. The males are 
 ash-coloured ; and the females are green.
 
 The flesh of these may be considered as the 
 greatest delicacy of Africa and America; and 
 the sportsmen of those climates, go out to hant 
 the Guana, as we do in pursuit of the pheasant 
 or the hare. In the beginning of the season, 
 when the great floods of the tropical climates are 
 passed away, and vegetation starts into universal 
 verdure, the sportsmen are seen, with a nooze 
 and a stick, wandering along the sides of the 
 rivers, to take the Guana. This animal, though 
 apparently formed for combat, is the most harm, 
 less creature of all the forest; it lives among 
 tiees, or sports in the water, without ever 
 eflering to offend: there, having fed upon the 
 flowers that grow along the banks of the stream, 
 it goes to repose upon the branches of the trees 
 that hang over the water. Upon land, the animal 
 is swift of foot; but when once in possession of 
 a tree, it seems conscious of the security of its 
 situation, and never offers to stir. 
 
 There the sportsman having found it, he ad- 
 vances slowly towards it, whistling in a manner 
 that attracts the Guana, who pleased with the 
 sound, turns towards the place from whence it 
 comes, and stretches out its neck as if unwilling 
 to lose a note. Thus delighted, the simple animal 
 suffers the person to advance his rod gently, and 
 rub it against his sides and throat. This ad- 
 ditional pleasure completes its ruin ; for the 
 Guana, beyond measure gratified by this opera- 
 tion, turns n its back to enjoy the tickling,
 
 56 
 
 while the nfgra seizes this moment for slipping 
 the nooze over his necfc, and drags him to the 
 ground. 
 
 Catesby says, that the Guanas form a great 
 part of the subsistence of the inhabitants of the 
 Bahama islands ; for which purpose, they visit 
 many of the remote islands to catch them, which 
 they do by dogs trained up for that purpose, and 
 these are so dexterous, as not often to kill them ; 
 if they do, they are used immediately as*food. 
 If otherwise, they fasten up their mouths to 
 prevent their biting, and put them into the hold 
 of their sloop, till they have caught a sufficient 
 number, which they carry alive for sale in 
 Carolina, or salt and barrel up for the use of 
 their families at home their flesh is delicate and 
 well tasted. 
 
 The Guana, like the rest of the Lizard tribe, 
 will live a long time without food : Mr. Browne 
 domesticated one in Jamaica^ which was never 
 observed to eat any thing. When first this 
 creature was taken into the house, it was very 
 fierce and ill-natured ; but after some time, its 
 temper improved, and at length it would pass 
 the greatest part of the day on the bed, where 
 it was fond of lying. Mr. Browne adds, that 
 the Guana may be. very easily tamed while young, 
 and is then both an innocent and beautiful com- 
 panion.
 
 57 
 
 THE CHAMELEON. 
 
 LIKE the crocodile, this little animal proceeds 
 from an egg ; and it also nearly resembles that 
 formidable creature in form : but it differs widely 
 in its size and appetites ; being not above eleven 
 inches long, and chusing to sit upon trees, 
 through fear of serpents, from which it is unable 
 to escape on the groond. 
 
 The head of a large Chameleon, is almost two 
 inches long; and like that of a fish is fixed im- 
 moveably to the shoulders : the thickness of the 
 body varies according as it is more or less in- 
 flated ; for it can blow itself up, and contract 
 itself at pleasure. This swelling and contraction 
 is not only of the back and the belly, but of the 
 legs and tail. 
 
 When the air is completely discharged from 
 the body of the Chameleon, it appears to consist 
 of little more than skin and bone; indeed such 
 is its leanness, that the ribs and the joints of the 
 back-bone may be distinctly seen and counted. 
 In this state, it is said to resemble a mere ani- 
 mated skeleton covered with a skin. 
 
 This method of puffing itself up,, is similar to 
 that in pigeons, whose crops are sometimes 
 greatly distended with air. The Chameleon has 
 a power of driving the air it breathes, over every 
 part of the body : however, it only gets between 
 the skin and the muscles, for the muscles them-
 
 58 
 
 selves are never swollen. The skin is very 
 cold to the touch ; and though the animal seems 
 so lean, there is no feeling the beating of the 
 heart. The surface of the skin is unequal, and 
 has a grain not unlike shagreen, but very soft, 
 because each eminence is as smooth as if it were 
 polished. The colour of all these eminences, 
 when the Chameleon is at rest in a shady place, 
 is of a bluish grey, and the spaces between are of 
 a pale red and yellow. 
 
 But when the animal is removed into the sun, 
 then comes the wonderful part of its history. At 
 first it appears to suffer no change of colour, its 
 grayish spots still continuing the same: but the 
 whole surface soon seems to imbibe ihe rays of 
 light; and the colouring of the body changes 
 into a variety of hues. Wherever the light 
 comes upon the body, it is of a tawney brown; 
 but that part of the. skin on which the sun does 
 not shine, changes into several brighter colours, 
 pale yellow, or vivid crimson; which form 
 spots of the size of half one's finger : some of 
 these descend from the spine half way down the 
 back ; and others appear on the sides, arm and 
 tail. When the sun has done shining, the ori- 
 ginal gray colour returns by degrees, and covers 
 all the body. Sometimes the animal becomes all 
 over spotted with brown spots, of a greenish 
 cast. When it is wrapped up ia a white linen 
 cloth for two or three minutes, the natural 
 colour becomes much lighter ; but not quite
 
 69 
 
 white, however, from hence it must not be con- 
 cluded that the Chameleon assumes the colour 
 of the objects which it approaches ; this is en- 
 tirely an error, and probably has taken its rise 
 from the continual changes it appears to un- 
 dergo. 
 
 As these changes in the colour of the Chame- 
 leon appear so extraordinary, we shall add the 
 report of a traveller, who had one for some 
 time in his possession ; " Its g-eneral colour 11 
 says he, " was a pleasant green spotted with a 
 pale blue; from this it changed to a bright yel- 
 low, dark olive, and a dull green, but never 
 appeared to such advantage as when irritated, 
 or a dog approached it ; the body was then con- 
 siderably inflated, and the skin clouded like 
 tortoise-shell in shades of yellow, orange green 
 and black. A black object always caused an 
 immediate change of colour; the room in which 
 it was kept was skirted by a board painted black, 
 this, the Chameleon carefully avoided ; but if 
 he accidentally drew near it, or we placed a 
 black hat in his way, he was reduced to a hide- 
 ous skeleton, and from the most lively tints be- 
 came black as jet ; on removing the cause, the 
 effect as suddenly ceasing ; the saVle hue was 
 succeeded by a brilliant colouring, and the body 
 was again inflated. 11 
 
 When the Chameleon changes place, and 
 attempts to descend from an eminence, it moves 
 with the utmost precaution, advancing one leg
 
 60 
 
 very deliberately before the other, still securing 
 itself by holding whatever it can grasp by the 
 tail. It seldom opens the mouth, except for 
 fresh air ; and when that is supplied, discovers 
 its satisfaction by its motions, and the frequent 
 changes of its colour. The tongue is sometimes 
 darted out with amazing quickness after its prey, 
 which is flies ; and this is about half the length 
 of the whole body, resembling very much a 
 common earth-worm. The eyes are remarkably 
 little, though they stand out of the head : they 
 have a single eye-lid, like a cap with a hole in 
 the middle, through which the pupil of the eye 
 appears, which is very bright ; and round it 
 there is a little circle of a gold colour ; but the 
 most extraordinary part of their conformation 
 is, that the animal is able to see what passes 
 before, behind, or on either side, and it can give 
 all these motions to one eye while the other 
 remains perfectly at rest. 
 
 It is supposed, that this wonderful structure 
 is given to the eye by Providence, to defend 
 it from the intense light of the sun ; and when 
 we see the contrivance used by Laplanders and 
 other northern nations, to protect themselves 
 from the excessive gleam of the snow, by cover- 
 ing their eyes with a thin board having a narrow 
 slit in the middle of it, we can scarcely hesitate 
 in believing, that this provision is given to the 
 Chameleon for the same purpose. 
 
 The peculiar property whw;h the Chameleon
 
 has of changing its colour, and assuming hues 
 so different from each other, has been made the 
 means of conveying to the young a very useful 
 lesson, upou the modesty with which they should 
 offer their own opinions and listen to those of 
 others. This lesson is contained in a poem which 
 we subjoin both for the amusement and instruction 
 of the young reader. 
 
 OFT has it been my lot to mark. 
 A proud, conceited, talking spark, 
 With eyes that hardly served at mst 
 To guard their master 'gainst a post : 
 Yet round the world the blade has been, 
 To see whatever could be seen. 
 Returning from his finish'd tour, 
 Grown ten times perter than before ; 
 Whatever word you chance to drop, 
 The travelled fool your mouth will stop : 
 " Sir, if my judgment you'll allow 
 " Pve seen and sure I ought to know." 
 So begs you'd pay a due submission, 
 And acquiesce in his decision. 
 
 Two travellers of such a cast, 
 As o'er Arabia's wilds they past, 
 And on their way, in friendly chat, 
 Now talk'd of this, and then of that ; 
 Discours'd awhile, 'mongst other matter, 
 Of the Chameleon's form and nature.
 
 62 
 
 tr A stranger animal," cries one, 
 " Sure never liv'd beneath the sun : 
 " A lizard's body, lean and long, 
 " A fish's head, and serpent's tongue. 
 "Its foot with triple claw disjoin 'd, 
 " And what a length of tail behind .' 
 " How slow its pace ! and then its hue 
 " Whoever saw so fine a blue ? 
 
 " Hold there," the other quick replies, 
 * >Tis green, I saw it with these eyes, 
 " As late with open month it lay, 
 " And warm'd it in the sunny ray : 
 " Stretch'd at its ease, the beast I view'd, 
 " And saw it eat the air for food.'* 
 
 ' I've seen it, Sir, as well as you, 
 ** And must again affirm it blue ; 
 *' At leisure I the beast survey'd 
 " Extended in the cooling shade.'' 
 
 <0 Tis green, 'tis green, Sir, I assure ye." 
 " Green !" cries the other, in a fury ; 
 " Why, Sir, d'ye think I've lost my eyes ?'* 
 " 'Twere BO great loss,*' the friend replies , 
 ' For if they always serve you thus, 
 " You'll find them but of little use.' 
 So high at last the contest rose, 
 From words they almost came to blows : 
 When luckily came by a third ; 
 To him the question they referr'd : 
 And begg'd he'd tell them, if he knew, 
 Whether the thing was green or blue. 
 " Sirs," cries the umpire, " cease your pother, 
 " Tb creature's neither one nor t'other.
 
 63 
 
 " I caught the animal last night, 
 
 " And view'd it o'er by candle-light ! 
 
 " I marked it well 'twas black as jet 
 
 *' You stare but Sirs I've got it yet, 
 
 " And can produce it." " Pray, Sir, do ; 
 
 " I'll lay my life the thing is blue." 
 
 " And I'll be sworn, that when you've seen 
 
 " The reptile, you'll pronounce bim green." 
 
 " Well then, at once to ease the doubt,'* 
 
 Replies the man, " I'll turn him out : 
 
 " And when before your eyes I've set him, 
 
 ' If you don't find him black I'll eat him." 
 
 He said ; and full before their sight 
 
 Produc'd the beast, and lo ! 'twas white f 
 
 Both star'd, the man look'd wond'rous wise ; 
 
 ' My children," the Chameleon cries, 
 
 (Then first the creature found a tongue) 
 
 ' You all are right, and all are wrong : 
 
 " When next you talk of what you view, 
 
 " Think others see as well as you : 
 
 * Nor wonder, if you find that none 
 
 " Prefers your eye-sight to his own."
 
 64 
 
 THE FLYING DRAGON. 
 
 THE fables which were formerly spread abroad, 
 and believed by the ignorant, concerning a fierce 
 animal which had wings, and whose bite was 
 mortal, most probably originated from the small, 
 weak, and perfectly innocent creature we are 
 about to describe. 
 
 The total length of this curious reptile is about 
 a foot, the tail being extremely long in propor- 
 tion to the body : The head is of a very singular 
 form, being furnished beneath with a triple pouch, 
 one of which hangs under the throat, while the 
 other two project, one on each side : they are all 
 sharp pointed, as may be observed from the fignre 
 in the frontispiece : the body and limbs are slen- 
 der, and covered with scales. The colour on 
 the upper parts is an elegant pale blue, the back 
 and tail being marked by several dark bars, 
 while the wings are elegantly spotted with brown, 
 black, and white patches. 
 
 These reptiles inhabit Asia, Africa, and 
 America, where they are seen flying from tree 
 to tree, and feeding on flies, ants, and other 
 insects. They are said to make a noise w r ith 
 their wings, and they are able to support them- 
 selves in the air, during a flight of thirty paces. 
 
 Several impositions have been often attempted 
 to be passed on the public, of different animals 
 stufed in a peculiar manner, so as to represent
 
 65 
 
 what those who have only heard of the animal, 
 might suppose to be a Dragon. The most re- 
 markable instance of this kind of deception was 
 practised in HoI4and, some years ago, where 
 a Hamburgh merchant professed to have a real 
 Dragon in his possession, which he valued at 
 a thousand pounds. The dishonesty, however, 
 was detected, and exposed as it deserved, by the 
 celebrated Linnaeus, who declared it to be an 
 ingenious combination of the skins of large snakes, 
 the teeth of weasels, and the claws of birds of 
 prey. 
 
 HHM0M' 
 
 THE NIMBLE LIZARD. 
 
 THIS elegant little creature, which is known in 
 almost every part of the temperate regions of 
 Europe, seems to be the most gentle and inof- 
 fensive, and, at the same time, the most useful 
 of all the Lizard tribe, It is fond of basking 
 in the sun; but, unable to bear excessive heat, 
 in the hottest weather it seeks for shelter. In 
 spring, during fine weather, it may, sometimes, 
 be seen, luxuriously extended on a sloping green 
 bank, or on a wall exposed to the sun. In these 
 situations, it enjoys the full effects of the reviv- 
 ing warmth ; expressing its delight by gently
 
 66 
 
 waving its slender tail ; and its lively and bril- 
 liant eyes are animated with pleasure. Should 
 any of the small insects, on which it feeds, ap- 
 pear, it springs upon them with the quicknes-s 
 of thought ; and, if any danger occurs, the 
 little creature itself seeks a more secure retreat, 
 with equal rapidity. On the least noise, it turns 
 suddenly round, drops down, and seems, for a 
 moment, perfectly stupitied by its fall: or else it 
 suddenly shoots away among the bushes or thick 
 grass. This wonderful rapidity is chiefly to be 
 observed in warm countries, ior, in milder re- 
 gfons, its motions are much more languid. 
 
 This gentle and peaceful animal excites no 
 sensations of terror ; and, when taken into the 
 hand, makes not the smallest attempt either to 
 bite or offend. In some countries, children use 
 it as a play-thing ; and, in consequence of its 
 natural gentleness of disposition, it becomes, in 
 a great measure, tame and familiar. In Caro- 
 lina, so familiar does it become, that it will 
 enter the rooms of houses, without fear, and in 
 pursuit of insects, mount the tables, whilst peo- 
 ple are eating, and even leap alter them on per- 
 son's clothes. They are so cleanly and beauti- 
 ful, that they are suffered to run over the tables 
 and plates, without exciting the smallest disgust. 
 
 The tail is nearly twice the length of the body, 
 and tapers from the root to the extremity, where 
 it ends in a sharp point. This, from the weak- 
 ness of the joint, is so brittle as oi'ten to snap off
 
 67 
 
 on the least roughness in handling. In this case, 
 it is v however, sometimes reproduced. The 
 whole length of the animal, from the tip of the 
 nose to the point of the tail, is about six inches 
 and a half. The back and tail are variously 
 striped and spotted, with light brown, black, 
 white, and dark brown. 
 
 For the purpose of seizing the insects on 
 which it feeds, the Nimble Lizard darts out, 
 with astonishing velocity, its forked tongue. 
 This is of a reddish colour, and has a roughness 
 which is scarcely sensible to the sight, but,which 
 assists very materially in catching its winged 
 prey. Like other animals of the Lizard tribe, 
 it is capable of existing a long time without food. 
 Some of them have been kept in bottles, without 
 any nourishment, for upwards of six months. 
 
 In the southern countries of Europe, the 
 Nimble Lizard revives, very early in the spring, 
 from the torpid state in which it had passed the 
 cold weather of the winter ; and, recovering 
 its activity, begins its sportive movements. In 
 the beginning of May, the female deposits her 
 eggs, which are nearly round, and about the 
 third of an inch in diameter, in some warm si. 
 tuation ; as, for instance, at the foot of a wall 
 fronting the south. Here they are hatched by 
 the heat of the sun. 
 
 Previously to laying the eggs, both male and 
 female change their skins, which they again do 
 about the beginning of winter. They pass that
 
 68 
 
 season in a slate of torpor, more or less com- 
 plete, according to the rigour of the climate, 
 either in holes of trees, in walls, or in subterra- 
 neous places. 
 
 This little animal seems occasionally (o lay 
 aside its natural gentleness and innocence of 
 disposition; still, however, no further than for 
 the purpose of obtaining food. Mr. Edwards once 
 surprised a Nimble Lizard in the act of fight- 
 ing with a small bird, as she sat on her nest in 
 a vine against the wall, with newly-hatched 
 young. He supposed the Lizard would have 
 made them a prey, could he but have driven the 
 old bird from her nest. He watched the. con- 
 test for some time ; but. on his near approach, 
 the Lizard dropped to the ground, and the bird 
 flew off. 
 
 The GREEN LIZARD is only another variety of 
 the same kind we have been describing ; chiefly 
 distinguished from it, by attaining, oftentimes, 
 the size of two feet or upwards. Unlike the 
 former, it is not found in England, but. in the 
 wanner parts of Europe, it is seen in great 
 numbers, about warm walls, sunny banks, and 
 old buildings. None of the Lizard tribe, it 
 may be observed, are to be seen in Ireland. In 
 its manners it is equally mild and gentle with 
 the Nimble Lizard ; and, if taken young, may, 
 to a certain degree, be tamed. On this account, 
 and from its extremely beautiful appearance, it 
 is usually considered a favourite animal. In
 
 Sweden and Kamtschalka, however, it is 
 looked upon by the inhabilauts with sucii horror, 
 that they cut it to pieces whenever they meet 
 with it. 
 
 Notwithstanding the generally peaceful dispo- 
 sition of the Green Lizards, they sometimes 
 contend with serpents, but rarely with success, 
 generally falling a victim to the unequal com- 
 bat. When driven to extremity, it will some- 
 times defend itself even against the at tacks of dogs. 
 It springs instantly at the muzzle of the assail- 
 ant, where it often fixes itself so obstinately, 
 that it will allow itself to be carried off, and 
 even killed, rather than quit its hold. It is not, 
 however, to be considered a dangerous reptile, 
 notwithstanding, some people have groundlessly 
 attributed to it, the property of giving pernicious, 
 if not mortal bites. This fact has been ascer- 
 tained by numerous and well authenticated ex- 
 periments. 
 
 It feeds principally on insects and earth- 
 worms ; and is, in every respect, a most active 
 animal, pursuing, with wonderful celerity, its 
 insect prey, and escaping, with great readiness, 
 from pursuit, when disturbed. It devours the 
 eggs of small birds, for which purpose, it climbs 
 with agility into the highest branches of trees. 
 
 It runs with great swiftness ; and its first mo- 
 tions, when it springs from among bushes or dry 
 leaves, are often so rapid, as to excite sensa- 
 tions of surprise, or even of fear. 
 E
 
 70 
 
 THE SALAMANDER. 
 
 NO animal of the Lizard tribe, except the Cro- 
 codile, has excited so much notice as the Sala- 
 mander. Whilst even the hardest bodies are 
 unable to resist the action of heat, the gene- 
 rality of mankind have given full credit to the 
 ridiculous stones that have, for ages, been relat- 
 ed of this little Lizard, not only being able to 
 withstand the effects of fire, but even to extin- 
 guish it. For a long time it was believed that, 
 if one cf these small Lizards was thrown upon 
 the most violent flame, its progress would be 
 instantly checked. Far, however, from remaining 
 uninjured by the fire, the Salamandar is as cer- 
 tainly destroyed by it, as any other animal. 
 When heat has reached its body, indeed, it ap- 
 pears covered with a sort of milky fluid, which 
 oomes through all the pores of its skin ; but, it 
 need scarcely be added, that this would not be 
 sufficient to quench even the smallest fire. In 
 addition to this, the Salamander was esteemed 
 a poisonous reptile, and, as such, has been ge- 
 nerally held in terror ; but, this opinion also has 
 been refuted by numerous experiments. 
 
 Shady woods, high mountains, or the banks 
 cf unfrequented rivulets, are the usual retreats 
 of these animals and, they are not often seen, 
 except during wet weather. In the winter, 
 they lie concealed in hollows about the roots of
 
 71 
 
 old trees, in subterraneous recesses, or the ca- 
 vities of old walls, where several of them have 
 been sometimes discovered, collected, and twist- 
 ed together. They are frequently to be seen in 
 the water, where they are able to live as well as 
 on land. Their principal food consists of in- 
 sects, snails, and worms. Their pace is slow, 
 and their manners sluggish. 
 
 When the Salamander is at rest, it very often 
 rolls itself into a spiral form, '.'ike a serpent. 
 Whenever it is handled, it covers itself sud- 
 denly over with its milky fluid ; and when 
 crushed, or even when squeezed, it c-mits a very 
 peculiar and offensive odour. When struck, it 
 erects its tail, and becomes, for some .time, al- 
 together motionless. 
 
 It is extremely tenacious of life, anij is not 
 to be killed by blows or wounds without much 
 difficulty; but if wetted with vinegar, or sprin- 
 kled with powdered salt, it soon dies in convUi'v 
 sions. This is the case likewise with some 
 other Lizards, and with most worms. It is 
 able to continue under water for a considerable 
 length of time. Some individuals have been 
 kept in water for more than six months, without 
 any other food than what they could collect from 
 that element. The animals often raise their nos- 
 trils above the surface, for the purpose of breath- 
 ing. Whilst kept in water, they occasionally 
 throw off a thin skin, of a greenish ash colour. 
 
 The females are generally supposed to pro-
 
 72 
 
 dace thfir young ones into the world alive ? 
 hatched from eggs within their own bodies, in 
 the same manner as vipers. Al. de Maupertuis, 
 in one female that he opened, counted forty-two, 
 and in another forty -four. When first hatched, 
 they are nearly black, and almost without any 
 yellow spots ; they are deposited in the water, 
 and furnished with a kind of fins on each side 
 f the peck, which always drop off as soon as 
 the animals become perfected. 
 
 THE WATER-EFT OR NEWT. 
 
 THE, Salamander, as we have already men- 
 tioned, was long |kbulously supposed to be ca- 
 pable, of living in the midst ef fire. The Eft, 
 on the contrary, hag really the property of re- 
 maining alive in the midst of ice. It is some-, 
 times caught by the sudden formation of ice in 
 the ditches or ponds that it inhabits ; here it 
 remains in a torpid state, till, on the return of 
 spring, its prison becomes melted, when it reco- 
 vers its liberty and its powers of motion. Some- 
 times, even, in summer. Efts have been found 
 enveloped in lumps of ice taken from ice-houses, 
 in which they must have remained without either 
 food er motion, from the commencement of the 
 frost.
 
 The Common Water Newt seldom exceeds 
 four inches in length, and is entirely covered, 
 except on the belly, with small warts. Its food 
 consists of worms and water insects, and the 
 prey is often contended for with great obstinacy. 
 Dr. Townson kept some of them in a jar, and 
 ted them with worms ; the greatest possible 
 quietness prevailed frequently amongst the little 
 creatuies, before the food was given them; but 
 the moment the worm was dropped into the wa- 
 ter, all was bustle and confusion, each attacking 
 its neighbour furiously, arid seizing it by the 
 head, foot, or tail. These battles were the 
 more singular, as the object of their strife, lay 
 for some time unnoticed, at the bottom of the 
 jar. 
 
 Almost all the animals of the Lizard tribe, 
 change their skins once or twice a year, but the 
 Efts do this much more frequently, and the man- 
 ner in which the operation is performed, is so 
 curious, as to deserve a particular description. 
 Mr. Baker informs us, that for a day or two 
 before the change, the animal always appeared 
 more inactive than usual, taking no notice of the 
 worms that were given to it, which, at other 
 times, it greedily devoured. It began the ope- 
 ration of casting the skin, by loosening that 
 part about the jaws. It then pushed it back- 
 ward gradually, till it was able to s.lip out first 
 one leg and then the other. With these legs, it pro- 
 ceeded to thrust the skin as far backward as they 
 E, 2
 
 could reach. This done, it was under the ne- 
 cessity of rubbing its body against the gravel 
 at the bottom of the water, till it was more 
 than half freed from the skin, which ap- 
 peared doubled back, covering the hinder part 
 of the body and the tail. The animal now bent 
 back its head, taking the skin in its mouth, and 
 setting its feet upon it, for firmer hold, by de- 
 grees drew it entirely off, the hind-legs being 
 dragged out in the same manner that the fore- 
 ones were before. On examining the skin, it 
 vvas, in every instance, found to be turned in- 
 side out, but without any breach except at the 
 jaws. These creatures do not, however, like 
 aome of the snakes, put off the coverings of the 
 eyes along with the skin ; for two round holes 
 always appear where the eyes have been. This 
 operation sometimes occupies nearly half an 
 hour; and, after it is finished, the Lizard ap- 
 pears full of life and vigour. If the skin is not 
 taken away very shortly after it is cast, the ani. 
 mal usually swallows it. Sometimes it begins 
 with the head part first ; and the tail, being 
 tilled with air and water, becomes like a blown 
 bladder, and proves so unmanageable, that it 
 is very curious to see the pains it costs to re- 
 duce it to a condition to pass down the throat. 
 
 The water newt deposits her eggs at the bottom 
 of the water, they are enclosed in a gluey sub* 
 stance which connects them together like beads 
 upon a string. Through this gluey substance the
 
 75 
 
 young efts may be distinctly perceived, coiled qp 
 within a transparent membrane, which lies in 
 the middle. When the young have increased in 
 size, and worked a passage out of their con- 
 finement, their shoulders are furnished with 
 fringed tufts, like feathers, which serve the 
 purpose of fins, but gradually disappear as the 
 animals grow longer. 

 
 NATURAL HISTORY 
 
 IP H 
 
 THE RATTLE SNAKE. 
 
 THIS animal, the most dreaded of all serpents, 
 grows to the length of five or six feet. Its co- 
 lour is yellowish-brown, above, marked with 
 broad transverse bars of black. -Both the jaws 
 are furnished with small, sharp teeth, and the 
 upper one has four large and pointed fangs. 
 At the base of each there is a round orifice, 
 opening into a hollow, which runs through the 
 whole length in the form of a small channel : 
 these teeth may be raised or compressed. When 
 the animals are in the act of biting, they force 
 out of a bag, on which the roots of the teetk 
 rest, the fatal juice : this is received into the 
 round orifice of the teeth, and conveyed through 
 the tube or channel, into the wound. Their 
 tail is composed of hollow, bony cells, jointed,
 
 77 
 
 and lying 0ne within another, like a set of cups; 
 they annually increase in number, till they 
 amount to about forty. It is found both in 
 North and South America. Providence has 
 given to mankind a security against its bite ; 
 Tor it generally warns the passenger of its ap- 
 proach by the rattling of its tail. In fine wea- 
 ther, the notice is always given, but not always 
 in rainy weather: this inspires the Indians with 
 a dread of travelling among the woods in wet 
 seasons. In addition to this circumstance, the 
 odour of the Rattle-snake is so extremely fetid, 
 that when it basks in the sun, or is irritated, it 
 is often discovered by the scent, before it is 
 either seen or heard. Horses and cattle fre- 
 quently discover it by the scent, and escape at 
 a distance ; but when the serpent happens to be 
 to leeward of their course, they sometimes run 
 into great danger. . 
 
 The Rattle-snake usually moves with its head 
 on the ground ; but, if alarmed, throws its bo- 
 dy into a circle, coiling itself with its head in 
 the centre erect, and with its eyes flaming in a 
 most terrific manner. Happily, it may be easi- 
 ly avoided ; it is slow in pursuit, and has not 
 the' power of springing at its assailants. 
 
 Its tongue is frequently darted out and drawn 
 back with great agility. Besides the fangs with 
 which the Rattle-snakes kill their prey, there is 
 another kind of teeth much smaller, and situated 
 in both jaws, which serve for catching and re-
 
 78 
 
 taining it. There are no grinders : for they do 
 not chew their food, but always swallow it 
 whole. 
 
 It is not very uncommon for this creature to 
 come into houses; but the moment any of the 
 domestic animals see or hear it, they take alarm, 
 and unite in giving notice of its presence. Mr. 
 Catesby says, that in a gentleman's house in 
 Carolina, as the servant was making the bed, 
 on the ground floor, that he had himself left but 
 a few minutes before, he discovered a Rattle- 
 snake lying coiled between the sheets in the 
 middle of the bed. Some time after this, one 
 of these reptiles was sliding into the same gen. 
 tleman's house, where he would, probably, 
 have concealed himself, if the family had not 
 been alarmed by the repeated outcries of the 
 hogs, xlogs, and poultry, who, says Catesby, 
 seemed all united in their hatred against him, 
 showing their terror by erecting their bristles 
 and feathers; they carefully, however, kept 
 their distance, while he regardless of their 
 threats, moved slowly along. 
 
 When the Rattle-snake has been irritated, 
 or the weather is exceedingly hot, its poison, 
 on being inserted into a wound, often proves 
 fatal in a very short time. 
 
 We are told, by an intelligent American 
 writer, that a farmer was one day mowing with 
 his negroes, when he by chance trod on a Rattle- 
 snake, that immediately turned upon him,
 
 79 
 
 and bit his boot. At night, when he went to 
 bed, he was attacked with sickness: he swelled, 
 and before a physician could be called in, he 
 died. All his neighbours were surprised at this 
 sudden death, but the body was interred without 
 examination. A few days afterwards, one of the 
 sons put on his father's boots, and at night when 
 he pulled them off, he was seized with the same 
 symptoms, and died on the following morning. 
 The medical man arrived, but unable to divine 
 the cause of so singular a disorder, being a very 
 ignorant man, and unwilling to confess his own 
 want of skill, he seriously pronounced both the 
 father and the son to have been bewitched. At 
 the sale of the effects, a neighbour purchased the 
 boots, and on putting them on, exprienced the 
 like dreadful symptoms with the father and son. 
 A skilful physician, however, being sent for, who 
 had heard of the preceding affair, suspected the 
 cause, and, by applying proper remedies, reco- 
 vered his patent. The fatal boots were now 
 carefully examined, and the two fangs of the 
 Snake were discovered to have been left in the 
 leather, with the poison-bladders adhering to 
 them. They had penetrated entirely through, 
 and both the father and the son had impercepti- 
 bly scratched themselves with their points in 
 pulling off the boots. 
 
 Drv Brickell says, he was witness to an en ] 
 counter between a dog, and a Rattle-snake, 
 which was fastened to the ground by a tolerably
 
 Id 
 
 Jong string. The snake coiled up, and rattled 
 its tail ; and the dog being let loose, seized, 
 and attempted to shake it out at full length, but 
 from the weight was prevented from doing this, 
 and in consequence it bit him in the ear. He 
 seemed somewhat stunned, and left the place, 
 but returned on being encouraged by the com- 
 pany. Tn the second encounter, he received a 
 bite in his lip, after which the Snake bit him- 
 self. The dog from that moment appeared sense- 
 less of every thing around him ; even the cares- 
 ses of his brutal master had now no effect, and 
 in less than half an hour, both the animals were 
 found dead. The following instance, however, 
 will shew that their poison, though very terrible 
 in its effects, is not always certain death. A 
 gentleman in Virginia, accident ly trod upon a 
 Rattle-snake, which so enraged the animal, that 
 it bit him in the hand. The gentleman, though 
 aware of his danger, and the necessity of imme- 
 diate assistance, stopped to kill the snake, which 
 he carried home, and throwing it upon the 
 ground, told his family that he was killed, and 
 the. snake was his murderer. In such an extre- 
 mity, no time was to be lost, and olive oil, the 
 remedy nearest at hand, was immediately ap- 
 plied. His arm, vvhich was beginning to swell, 
 was tied up near the shoulder, and the wound, 
 well rubbed with the oil. A stop was thus put 
 to the progress of the infection, and his consti- 
 tution so far got the better of the poison, tha*
 
 82 
 
 he recovered, but not without feeling the most 
 various and dreadful symptoms, for several 
 weeks together. After the swelling of the arm 
 had ceased, he was attacked by fever, attended 
 with great weakness; all these, however, he 
 recovered from, though he tells us his hand and 
 arm were covered with spots, which continued 
 all the summer. From these painful effects at- 
 tending the bite of this animal, it is no wonder 
 that not only man, but beasts and birds, carry 
 on aa unceasing war against them. The Ich- 
 neumon of the Indians, and the Peccary of 
 America, destroy them in great numbers. These 
 animals have, the art of seizing them near the 
 head ; and it is said, that they skin them with 
 great dexterity. The Vulture and the Eagle 
 also prey upon them in great abundance ; and 
 often sousing down from the clouds, drop upon 
 a long serpent, which they snatch up, struggling 
 and writhing in the air. Dogs, also, are bred up 
 to ppose them. A traveller, in the woods of 
 Maitinico. was once attacked by a large ser- 
 pent, which he could not easily avoid, when 
 his dog immediately came to his relief, and 
 seized the assailant with great courage. The 
 serpent entwined him, and pressed him so vio- 
 lently, that the blood came out of his mouth, 
 and yet, the dog never ceased till he had torn 
 it to pieces. The dog was not sensible of his 
 wounds during the fight ; but soon after, his head 
 swelled prodigiously, and he lay on the ground
 
 as dead. But his master having found a Ba- 
 nana tree near the spot, he applied its juice, 
 mixed with treacle, to the wounds, which reco- 
 vered the dog, and quickly healed his sores. 
 
 The Indians sometimes succeed in slight cases, 
 by sucking the wound ; they consider this method 
 as very successful ; but they also carry in their 
 pockets, a small root, a portion of which they 
 chew, and having swallowed some of the juice, 
 apply the rest to the wound. The effect, how- 
 ever, says Catesby r which they usually attributed 
 to these remedies, was owing more to the 
 strength of a good constipation, or the slightness 
 of the bite. '* The person thus bitten," he adds, 
 " I have known to survive without any assist- 
 ance, for many hours ; but when a Rattlesnake 
 with full force pricks a vein or an artery, inevi- 
 table death ensues ; and that, as I have after- 
 wards seen, in less than two minutes. Thelndians 
 know their danger the moment they are bitten ; 
 and when they perceive it mortal, apply no 
 remedy, concluding all efforts vain." 
 
 If they are not provoked, these animals are 
 perfectly inoffensive to mankind ; although the 
 account already given of the traveller, who was 
 assailed by orte of them, may seem an excep- 
 tion, the fact is, they are so much alarmed at 
 the sight of men, as always, if possible, to 
 avoid them, and never themselves commence 
 an attack. Though the poison, therefore, be 
 justly terrible to us when it has entered the blood ?
 
 84 
 
 it has been given for very good purposes, for the 
 animal's own proper support and defence* 
 Without this, serpents, oi' ail other animals^ 
 would be the most exposed and defenceless ; 
 without feet for escaping a pursuit; without 
 teeth capable of inflicting a dangerous wound, 
 or without strength for resistance ; incapable, 
 from their size, of finding security in very 
 small retreats like ihe earth-worm, and disgust- 
 ing ail from their deformity, nothing was left 
 for them but a speedy extirpation. But fur- 
 nished as they are with powerful poison, every 
 rank of animals approaches them with dread, and 
 never seizes them but at an advantage. Nor 
 is this all the advantage they derive from it.. 
 The malignity of a few serves for the protection 
 of all. Though not above a tenth of their num- 
 ber are actually venomous, yet the similitude 
 they all bear to each other, excites a general 
 terror of the whole tribe; and the uncertainty 
 of their enemies, in which the poison chiefly re- 
 sides, makes even the most harmless formidable. 
 Thus Providence has acted with double precau- 
 tion ; it has given some of them poison for the 
 general defence of a tribe naturally feeble; but 
 it has thinned the number of those which are 
 venomou^, lest they should become too powerful 
 for the rest of animated nature. 
 
 In the cold season, the negroes seize the Rat- 
 tle-Snake by the head ; and at that time, it has 
 toot sufficient strength either to defend itself, or
 
 85 
 
 to endeavour to escape. The Wild Hogs which 
 are said to teed on it without inconvenience, 
 probably seize it in such a manner as to evade 
 its fangs. The moment one of these hogs smells 
 tk rattle-snake, it erects its bristles and rushes 
 upon it with eagerness. The hog, besides the 
 caution which it uses in laying hold of its ene- 
 my, is, probably, defended from the effects of 
 the venom, at least, in certain parts of iis body, 
 by the thickness of its hair, the hardness of its 
 sfein, and the depth of its fat, 
 
 Mr. St. John once saw a tamed Rattle-snake, 
 as gentle as it is possible to conceive a reptile 
 to be. It went to the water and swam when- 
 ever it pleased ; and when the boys, to whom it 
 belonged, called it back, their summons was 
 readily obeyed. It had been deprived of its 
 fangs. They often stroked it with a soil brush ; 
 and this friction seemed to cause the most pleas- 
 ing sensations, for it would turn on its back to 
 enjoy it, as a cat does before the fire 
 
 Rattle-snakes are viviparous, producing their 
 offspring, generally aboui twelve in number, in 
 the month of June ; and hy September, these ac- 
 quire the length of twelve inches. It has been 
 well attested that they adopt the same mode of 
 preserving their young ones from danger, as that 
 attributed to the European viper, receiving 
 them into their mouth and swallowing them. - 
 M. de Beauvois declares, that he was an eye- 
 witness to the process. He aw a large Rattle- 
 F 3
 
 86 
 
 snake, which he had disturbed in his walks ; it 
 immediately coiled itself up, opened its jaws, 
 and in an instant, five small ones that were lying 
 by it, rushed into its mouth. He retired in order 
 to watch the snake, and in a quarter of an hour 
 saw her again discharge them. He then ap- 
 proached a second time, when the young ones 
 rushed into its mouth more quickly than btfore, 
 and the animal immediately moved off and es- 
 caped. 
 
 The Rattle-snake is known to devour several 
 of the smaller species of animals, and by many 
 persons, is considered to be endowed with the 
 power of fascinating its prey, until they even 
 run into its jaws. Mr. Pennant, from Kalm, 
 says, that this snake will frequently lie at the 
 bottom of a tree on which a squirrel is seated. 
 He fixes his eyes upon the little animal, and 
 from that moment, it cannot escape : it begins a 
 doleful outcry, which is so well known, that a 
 person passing by, on hearing it, immediately 
 knows that a snake is present. The squirrel 
 runs up the tree a little way, comes down again, 
 then goes up, and afterwards comes still lower. 
 The snake continues at the bottom of the tree, 
 with its eyes fixed upon the squirrel ; and his 
 attention is so entirely taken up, that a person 
 accidentally approaching, may make a consi- 
 derable noise, without so much as the snake's 
 turning about. The squirrel comes lower, and 
 at last leaps down to the snake, whose mouth is 
 
 F3
 
 87 
 
 already wide open for its reception. The poor 
 Jittle animal then, with a prteous cry, runs into 
 his jaws, and is swallowed. 
 
 Some colour is given to this account by M. 
 Le Vaillant, who says that he saw, on the 
 branch of a tree, a species of shrike, trembling 
 as if in convulsions, and at the distance of nearly 
 four feet, on another branch, a large species of 
 snake, that was lying with outstretched neck, 
 and fiery eyes, gazing steadily at the poor ani- 
 mal. The agony of the bird was so great, that 
 it was deprived of the power of moving away ; 
 and when one of the party killed the snake, it 
 was found dead upon the spot and that entirely 
 irom fear for on examination, it appeared not 
 to have received the slightest wound. 
 
 The same gentleman informs us, that a short 
 time afterwards, he observed a small mouse, in 
 similar agonizing convulsions, about two yards 
 distant from a snake, whose eyes were intently 
 fixed upon it ; and on frightening away the* rep- 
 tile, and taking up the mouse, it expired in his 
 hand. 
 
 A remarkable instance of the fascinating 
 power of snakes, is given in Lichtenstein's tra- 
 vels fn Southern Africa. In rambling in the 
 fields near Cape Town, he saw, at the brink of 
 a ditch, a larne snake in pursuit of a field 
 mouse. The poor animal was just at its hole, 
 when it seemed in a moment to stop, as if un- 
 able to proceed, and, without being touched by 
 F 4
 
 88 
 
 the snake, to be palsied with terror. The snake 
 had raised its heed over him. had opened its 
 moulh, ar.d seemed to fix his eyes stedfastly 
 upon him. Both remained still a while ; but as 
 goon a* he mouse made a motion, as if to flee, 
 the head of the snake instaniiy followed the 
 movement, as if to stop his way. This lasted 
 four or five minutes, liil the author's approach 
 put an end to it : the snake then snapped up his 
 prey hastily, and glided away with it into a 
 a neighbouring bush. " As J had,"' he ob- 
 serves, " heard a great deal of this magic 
 power in the snake over smaller animals, it was 
 very interesting to me to see a specimen of it. 
 I think it n:ay be made a question, however, 
 wneiher the poisonous breath of the reptile might 
 not really have had the effect of paralysing the 
 limbs oi' the mouse, rather than that its inability 
 lo move, proceeded either from the fixed eye of 
 the snake, or the apprehension of inevitable 
 death. Jt is remarkable, and very certain, 
 that serpents will sport with their prey, as cats 
 dp, before they kill it." 
 
 Dr. Barton of Philadelphia, however, after 
 having examined, with some care, into the 
 subject, is of opinion, that the report of this fas- 
 cinating property has had its rise in nothing 
 more than the fears and cries of birds, and other 
 animals, in the projection of their nests and 
 young. 
 
 In summer, the Rattle-snakes are generally
 
 89 
 
 found in pairs : in winter, they collect in multi- 
 tudes, and retire into the ground, beyond the 
 reach of the frost. Tempted by the warmth of 
 a spring day, they are often obserred to creep 
 out in a weak and languid state. Mr. Pennant 
 mentions, that a person has seen a piece of 
 ground covered with them, and that he killed, 
 with a rod, between sixty and seventy ; till, 
 overpowered with the stench, he was compelled 
 to retire. 
 
 The American Indians often regale on the 
 Rattle-snake When they find these animals 
 asleep, they put a small forked stick over their 
 necks, which they keep immovably fixed to the 
 ground, giving the snake a piece of leather to 
 bite; and this they pull back several times with 
 great force, until they observe that the poisonous 
 fangs are torn out. They then eut off the head, 
 skin the body, and cook it as we do eels ; and 
 the flesh is said to be extremely while and 
 good. 
 
 The following are the remarks, with which 
 Buffon concludes his account of this justly 
 dreaded animal. 
 
 Favoured inhabitants of our temperate re* 
 gions! how happy are we in being placed at a 
 distance from those countries, where heat and 
 moisture exert so powerful an influence. Here 
 we have no dreadful serpent to infect, with its 
 venom, the water in which it swims with fa- 
 cility the trees whose boughs it glides over with 
 r 5
 
 90 
 
 agility the earth whose caverns it fills and the 
 solitary woods, where it exercises the same cruel 
 sway, as the tiger in its burning deserts. Let 
 us not regret the natural beauties of their 
 warmer climates, their more shady and majes- 
 tic trees, their more verdant foliage, their more 
 beautiful flowers, which yield a richer perfume : 
 These flowers and trees with all their gay fo- 
 liage, often conceal the Rattle-snake beneath 
 their deceitful beauties. 
 
 THE GREAT BOA. 
 
 THE ground colour of the great Boa is yel- 
 lowish-gray, on which is distributed along the 
 back, a chain of large reddish-brown, and some- 
 times red variegations, with other smaller and 
 more irregular marks and spots. 
 
 It is the largest of all the serpent tribe, is 
 frequently from thirty to forty feet in length, and 
 of a proportionate thickness. Carli describes 
 it making its track through the tall grass, 
 Jike mowers in a summer's day. He could 
 not without terror, behold whole lines of grass 
 lying levelled under the sweep of its tail. In 
 this manner, it moved forwaid with great ra- 
 pidity, until it found a proper situation frequen- 
 F 5
 
 91 
 
 ted by its prey : there it continued to Turk, in 
 patient expectation, and would have remained 
 for weeks together, had it not been disturbed by 
 the natives. 
 
 As the body is long, slender, and capable of 
 bending in every direction, the number of joints 
 in the back bone, are numerous beyond what one 
 would imagine. In the generality of quadru- 
 peds, they amount to not above thirty or forty; 
 in all animals of the serpent kind, as well as in 
 this, they amount to an hundred and forty five 
 from the head to the vent, and twenty live more 
 from that to the tail. They serve to give the 
 back-bone a surprising degree of pliancy ; but this 
 still is encreased, by the manner in which each of 
 these are locked into the other. In man and qua- 
 drupeds, the flat surfaces of the bones are laid 
 one against the other, and bound tight by sinews ; 
 but in serpents, the bones play one within the 
 other like a bail and socket, so that they have 
 full motion upon each other in every direction. 
 Thus if a man \vere to form a machine composed 
 of so many joints as are found in the back of a 
 serpent, he would find it no easy matter to give 
 it such strength and pliancy at the same time. 
 The chain of a watch imbut a bungling piece of 
 workmanship in comparison. 
 
 Though the number of joints in the back bone 
 is great, yet that of the ribs is still greater ; for 
 for there are two hundred and ninety in all.
 
 These ribs are furnis^d with muscles; four in 
 number ; which being inserted info ttoe head 9 
 run along to the end of (he tail, and give the 
 animal great strength and agility in all its 
 motion?. 
 
 There is much geometrical neatness in the dis- 
 posal of the serpent's scales, for assisting the 
 animal's sinuous motion. As the erlges of the 
 foremost scales lie over the ends of their follow- 
 ing scales, so those edges, when the scales are 
 erected, which (he aniaial has a power of doing 
 in a small degree, catch in the ground, and so 
 promote and facilitate the animals progressive 
 nation. The erecting of these scales, is by means 
 of a multitude of distinct muscles, with which 
 each is supplied, and one end of which is tacked 
 each to the middle of the foregoing. 
 
 As a proof of ihe great size at which these 
 animals arrivt, a gentleman, who had some 
 large concerns in America, informs us, that 
 he one day sent out a soldier, with an In- 
 dian, to kill some wild-fowl; and in pursuing 
 their game, the Indian, who generally went 
 before, sat down upon what he supposed to be 
 the fallen trunk of a tree. But the monster be- 
 ginning to move, the poor fellow perceived what 
 it was that he had thus approached, and dropped 
 down in an agony. The soldier, who at some 
 distance saw what had happened, levelled his 
 piece at the serpent's head, amd, by a luoky aim s
 
 93 
 
 ihot it dead ; and, going to the relief of his com- 
 panion, found that he was also dead from his 
 fright. On his return, he related what had 
 happened ; the animal was ordered to be brought, 
 and it was found to be thirty-six feet long. The 
 skin was stuffed, and sent to the cabinet of the 
 Prince of Orange. 
 
 The Boa however is not confined to America, 
 it is also a native of the larger Indian Islands, and 
 of the burning deserts of Alrica. In those coun- 
 tries where the sun dries up every brook, and that, 
 which had the appearance of a great river in the 
 rainy season, becomes, in summer, one dreary 
 bed of sand ; a lake that is never dry, is consi- 
 dered by every animal as the greatestconvenience 
 of nature. As to food, the country supplies 
 that in sufficient abundance, OF else they are 
 furnished by nature w"ith a wonderful capacity 
 for enduring hunger ; it is the want of water 
 that all animals endeavour to remove. When 
 they have discovered this, no dangers can deter 
 them from attempting to slake their thirst. Thus 
 the neighbourhood of a rivulet, in the tropical 
 countries, is generally the place where all the hos- 
 tile tribes of nature draw up for the engagement. 
 On the banks, thousands of animals of various 
 kinds are seen venturing to quench their thirst, 
 or preparing to seize their prey. The elephants 
 are perceived in a long line, inarching from 
 the darker parts of the forest ; the buffaloes art
 
 94 
 
 therft depending upon numbers for security ; the 
 gazelles relying solely upon their swiftness, 
 tho lion and tiger waiting a proper opportunity 
 to seize ; but chiefly the larger serpents are upon 
 guard there, and defend the accesses of the lake. 
 Not an hour passes without some dreadful com- 
 bat ; but the serpent, defended by its scales, and 
 naturally capable of sustaining a multitude of 
 wounds, is of all Others, the most formidable. It is 
 ,the most wakeful also ; for the whole tribe sleep 
 with their eyes open, and are, consequently, for 
 ever upon the watch : so that, till their rapacity 
 is satisfied, few other animals will venture to 
 approach their station. 
 
 In the island of Java, we are assured, that 
 one of these monsters has been known to kill and 
 devour a buffalo. In a letter printed in the 
 German Ephemerides, we have an account, by 
 a person who assures us that he was himself a 
 spectator, of a combat betwen an enormous ser- 
 pent and a buffalo. The serpent had, for aome 
 time, been waiting, near the brink of a pool, 
 in expectation of its prey; when a buffalo was 
 the first animal that appeared. Having darted 
 upon the affrighted beast, it instantly began to 
 wrap him round with its voluminous twisting ; 
 and at every twist, the bpnes of the buffalo were 
 Leird to crack almost a* loud as the report of a 
 gun. It was in vain that the animal struggled 
 aad bellowed ; its enormous enemy entwined it
 
 THE GREAT EGA.
 
 so closely, that at length all its bon^s were 
 crushed to pieces, and the whole body \ras re 
 duced lo ope uniibrnj mass: the serpent then 
 untwined its folds, in order to swallow its prey 
 at leisure, To prepare for this, and also lo 
 make it slip down the throat, the more smoothly, 
 it was seen to lick the whole body over, and 
 thus cover it with a mucilaginous substance. It 
 ihen began to swallow it at the end that afford- 
 ed the least resistance; and in the act, the throat 
 suffered so great a dilatation, that it took in, at 
 once, a substance that was thnce its own thick- 
 ness. 
 
 It was in all probability, an enormous specimen 
 of the Boa that once spread so violent a terror 
 amongst theRoman soldiers, and threw the whole 
 army into confusion. The circumstances are 
 thus told by a Historian, and are so curious a* 
 to deserve being related. 
 
 In the mean rime, Regulus e>ery where vic- 
 torious, led his army into the country, watered 
 by the river Bagrada, near which an unlocked 
 for misfortune awaited them, and at once caused 
 the Romans considerable loss, for a Serpent of 
 prodigious size attacked the soldiers, who were 
 sent for water, and while they were unable to 
 offer any resistance, swallowed several of them 
 in his enormous mouth, and killed others by 
 twisting round them with his folds, and bruising 
 them with the strokes of his tail. It caused so
 
 97 
 
 Huich trouble to Regulus, that he found it me? 
 cessary to contest the possession of the river 
 with it, by employing the whole force of his ar- 
 my ; during which, a considerable number of 
 soldiers were lost, while the Serpent could be 
 neither vanquished nor wounded, the strong ar- 
 mour of it scales, easily repelling the force of al 
 the weapons that could be brought against it. 
 Upon which, recourse was had to battering 
 engines, with which, the animal was at- 
 tacked in the manner of a fortified city, and 
 was thus, at length, overpowered. Sere- 
 ral discharges were made against it, with- 
 out success, till its back being broken by 
 an immense stone, the formidable monster 
 began to lose its powers, and was, though 
 yvith difficulty, destroyed : after having caused 
 such fear amongst the army, that they con- 
 fessed they would rather attack Carthage 
 itself than such another monster. A most 
 mortifying humiliation to human pride. The 
 general ordered the akin of the snake to be 
 taken off and sent to the city it is said to 
 have measured one hundred and twenty feet, 
 and remained for a long time hung up in 
 one of the temple?. 
 
 According to the Bombay Courier of August 
 31,1799, a Malay prow was making for the port 
 of Amboyna; but the pilot, finding she could 
 not enter it before dark, brought her to anchor
 
 98 
 
 for the night, close under the island of Celebes. 
 One of the crew went on shore in quest of betel 
 nut in the woods, and on his return, lay down, 
 as it is supposed, to sleep on the beach. In 
 the course of the night, he was heard, by his com- 
 radef, to scream out for assistance. 'They im- 
 mediately went on shore, but it was too late ; for 
 an immense snake of this species, had crushed 
 him to death. The attention of the monster be- 
 ing entirely occupied by its prey, the people 
 \vent boldly up to it, cut off its head, and took 
 both it and the body of the man on boardjtheir 
 boat. The snake seized the poor fellow by the 
 right wrist, where the marks of the fangs were 
 very distinct ; and the mangled corpse bore evi- 
 dent signs of having been crushed by the mon- 
 ster's twisting itself round the head, neck, breast, 
 and thigh. The length of the snake \vas about 
 thirty feet, and its thickness equal to that of a 
 moderate sized man. 
 
 Sometimes the Boa is brought orer to these 
 countries alive, to be exhibited to the curious ; 
 and though the climate is too cold for their nature, 
 they are found to thrive very well, by laying a 
 blanket in the cage where they were kept, in the 
 folds of which they nestle, and also by keeping 
 the room moderately heated. In Mr. Polito's 
 collection of wild animals which is now [1821] 
 exhibiting in Dublin there is one about nine 
 feet long, which is fed on live rabbits, ducks.
 
 99 
 
 and gther small animals ; these he instant dis- 
 patches, by coiling his body two or three times 
 round them, and squeezing them to death ; after 
 which, by strong and repeated gulps, he gradu- 
 ally sucks the body of each in whole, till it is 
 completely swallowed. 
 
 To this account we shall subjoin that of one, 
 which was brought to Europe, in the vessel 
 which carried Lord Amherst home from India, 
 and on the passage, was given a goat to 
 feed on: He was somewhat small of his kind, 
 being only about sixteen feet long, and 
 about eighteen inches in circumference. He 
 was broight on board, shut up in a wooden 
 crib or cage, the bars of which were suf- 
 ficiently close to prevent his escape ; and 
 it had a sliding door, for the purpose of ad- 
 mitting the articles on which he was to subsist ; 
 the dimensions of the crib were about four feet 
 high, and five feet square ; a space sufficiently 
 large to allow him to coil himself round witiv 
 ease. At an early period of the -voyage, the 
 sliding door being opened, a goat was thrust in, 
 for him to feed upon, and the door of the cage 
 shut. The poor goat, as if instantly aware of 
 all the horrors of its perilous situation, immedi- 
 ately began to utter the most piercing and dis- 
 tressing" cries, butting instinctively at the same 
 time, with its head towards the serpent, ia 
 self-defence,
 
 100 
 
 The snake. which, at first, appeared scarcely to 
 notice the poor animal, soon began to stir a lit- 
 tle, and, turning his head in the direction of 
 the goat, he, at length, fixed his eye on the vic- 
 tim, whose agony and terror seemed to increase. 
 The first operation was that of darting out his 
 forked tongue, and, at the same time, reaiing 
 a little with his head ; then suddenly seizing the 
 goat by the fore-leg, with his mouth, and throw- 
 ing it down, it was encircled in an instant in his 
 folds. So quick, indeed, was the act, that it 
 was impossible for the eye to follow the rapid 
 motion of his long body, as he wound it round 
 the animal; During this time, he continued to 
 grasp with his fangs, though it appeared an un- 
 necessary precaution, that part of the animal 
 which he had first seized. The poor goat, in 
 the mean time, continued its feeble cnes a short 
 time, but they soon became more and more faint, 
 and at last it expired. The snake, however, re- 
 tained it for a considerable time in his grasp, 
 after it was apparently motionless. He then 
 slowly and cautiously unfolded himself, and be- 
 gan to prepare himself for swallowing it. Plac- 
 ing his mouth iji front of the head of the dead 
 animal, he commenced by covering it over with 
 his saliva; and then taking its muzzle into hi* 
 mouth, he sucked it in. as far as the horns would 
 allow. These opposed some little difficulty, not 
 so much from their extent, as from their points ; 
 however, they aUo, in a very short time, dis-
 
 ioi 
 
 appeared ; that is to say, externally ; but their 
 progress was still to be traced very distinctly on 
 the outside, threatening every moment to pro- 
 trude through the skin. 
 
 The whole operation of completely gorging 
 the goat, occupied about two hours and twenty 
 minutes i at the end of which time, the tume- 
 faction was confined to the middle part of the 
 body, or stomach, the superior parts, which had 
 been so much stretched, having resumed their 
 natural dimensions. He now coiled himself up 
 again, and lay quietly in hrs usaal torpid state, 
 for about three weeks or a month, till his last 
 meal appearing to be completely digested and 
 dissolved, he was ready for other food, which 
 he devoured with equal facility. 
 
 As the vessel approached the Cape of Good 
 Hope, this animal began to droop, as was then 
 supposed, from the increasing coldness of the 
 weather, (which may probably have had its in- 
 fluence.) and he refused to kill some fowls which 
 were offered to him* Between the Cape and St. 
 Helena, he was found dead in his cage ; and, on 
 dissection, the coats of the stomach were disco- 
 vered to be excoriated and perforated by worms. 
 Nothing remained of the goat except one of the 
 horns, every other part being dissolved. 
 
 Dr. M'Leod also mentions, that, during a 
 captivity of some months, in the kingdom of Da- 
 homey, on the coast of Africa, he had opportuni- 
 ties of observing snakes more than double the
 
 102 
 
 size of this one just described." They killed their 
 prey, precisely in a similar manner ; and, from 
 their superior bulk, were capable of swallowing 
 animals much larger than goats or sheep. Gov- 
 ernor Abson, who had, for thirty-seven years, 
 resided at Fort William, (one of the African 
 Company's settlements there.) described some 
 desperate struggles which he had either seen, or 
 had come to his knowledge, between the snakes 
 and wild beasts, as well as the smaller cattle, 
 in which the former were always victorious. A 
 negro herdsman belonging to Mr. Abson (who 
 afterwards limped for many years about the 
 fort) had been seized by one of these monsters 
 by the thigh ; but from his situation in a wood, 
 the serpent, in attempting to throw himself around 
 him, got entangled with a tree; and the man, 
 being thus preserved from a state of compression, 
 which would have instantly rendered him quite 
 powerless, had presence of mind enough to cut 
 with a large knife, which he carried about with 
 him, deep gashes in the neck and throat of his 
 antagonist, thereby killing him, and disengaging 
 himself from his alarming situation. He never 
 afterwards, however, recovered the use of that 
 limb, which sustained considerable injury from 
 his fangs, and the mere force of his jaws. 
 
 It is happy for mankind that their rapacity 
 is often their own punishment; for, whenever 
 they have gorged themselves in this manner, they 
 become torpid, and may be approached and des-
 
 103 
 
 troyed with safety. Patient of hunger to a sur- 
 prising degree, whenever they seize and swal- 
 low their prey, they seem, like surfeited gluttons, 
 unwieldy, stupid, helpless, and sleepy. They 
 at that time seek for some retreat, where they 
 may lurk for several days together, and digest 
 their meal in safety. The smallest effort then 
 will destroy them ; they scarcely can make any 
 resistance ; and equally unqualified for flight or 
 opposition, even the naked Indians do not fear 
 to assail them. But it is otherwise when this 
 sleeping interval of -digestion is over ; they then 
 issue, with famished appetites, from their re- 
 treats, while every animal of the forest flies 
 from their presence. 
 
 When Captain Stedman was on board one of 
 his boats, on the river Cottica in Surinam, he 
 was informed, by one of his slaves, that a large 
 snake was lying among the brush-wood, on the 
 beach, not far distant ; and, after some persua- 
 sion, was induced to land, in order to .'shoot 
 if. At the first shot, the ball missing the head, 
 went through the body : when the animal struck 
 round, and with such astonishing force, as to 
 cut away all the underwood around him, with 
 the facility of a scythe mowing grass ; and, by 
 flouncing his tail, caused the mud and dirt in 
 which he lay, to ly over the men's heads that 
 were with him, to a considerable distance. They 
 started back some way, but the snake was quiet 
 again in a few minutes. Captain Stedman
 
 104 
 
 again fired, but with no better success than be- 
 fore ; and the animal sent up such a cloud of 
 dust and dirt, as he had never seen but in a whirl- 
 wind } which caused them once more suddenly 
 to retreat. After some persuasions, the Captain 
 was induced, though much against his inclination, 
 being exceedingly weak from illness, to make 
 a third attempt. Harmg. therefore, once more, 
 discovered the snak, they discharged their pieces 
 at once, and shot him through the head. The 
 negro brought a boat-rope to drag him to the 
 canoe, which was lying on the bank of the riv- 
 er. This proved no easy undertaking, since 
 the huge creature, notwithstanding his been 
 mortally wounded, still continued to writhe 
 about in such a manner, as to render it danger- 
 ous for any person to approach him. The negro 
 made a running noose on the rope, and after 
 some fruitless attempts, threw it on his head 
 with much dexterity ; and now, all taking 
 hold of the rope, they dragged him to the 
 beach, and tied him to the siern of the ca- 
 noe to take him in tow. Being, however, 
 still alive, he there kept swimming like an eel, 
 His length was more than twenty-two feet. 
 
 When they came to one of their stations, they 
 hauled him on shore, in order to skin him and 
 take out the oil. To effect this purpose, one of 
 the negroes, having climbed up the tree with the 
 end of the rope, let it down over a strong forked 
 branch, and the others hoisted up the snake.
 
 105 
 
 and suspended him from the tree. This done^ 
 the former negro, with a sharp knife between 
 his teeth, left the branch, and clung fast upon 
 the monster, which was still wrifhing, and be- 
 gan his operations by ripping it up, and strip- 
 ;ing down the skin as he descended. " Though? 
 perceived (says the captain) that the animal 
 was no longer able to do him any injury, I con- 
 fess I could not, without emotion, see a man 
 stark-naked, black and bloody, clinging with 
 his arms and legs round the slimy and yet liv- 
 ing monster/' The negroes cut the animal in 
 pieces, and would have eaten it, had they not 
 been refused the use of the kettle to boil it in. 
 The bite of this snake is not venomous ; nor is 
 it believed to bite ail from any other impulse 
 than that of hunger. 
 
 The following is a curious account, of the 
 capture of a large serpent in Egypt, many hun- 
 dred years ago : 
 
 Encouraged by the munificencewf Ptolemy, 
 King of Egypt, says the narrator, the huntsmen 
 resolved to carry one of the largest serpents to 
 the King at Alexandria. The one they pitched 
 upon was forty-five feet long, and frequented the 
 borders of a lake, where it usually lay on the 
 ground motionless and coiled up in a circle, but 
 whenever any animal came near it, it attacked 
 it suddenly, seizing it with its teeth, or surround, 
 ing it in the folds of its body. 
 
 The huntsmen having discovered the serpent 
 G
 
 106 
 
 at snmo distance imagined they should easily 
 catch it in a noose, and meant then to secure it 
 with chains. They advanced at first very cou- 
 rageously, but on a nearer approach, were very 
 much frightened by its furious and terrible as- 
 pect : they drew near however, with great cau- 
 tion, and endeavoured to eateh its tail in the 
 noose they had prepared, but the moment the 
 serpent felt the rope, it turned about with fury, 
 killing two of the hunters with a stroke of its 
 tail, arid causing all the rest to take to flight. 
 The remaining hunters urged on by the prospect 
 of reward, made a new attempt by means of a net, 
 formed ot very strong ropes. Taking advantage 
 of the absence of the serpent from its hole, they 
 stopped up the entrance with stones, and placed 
 their net in- the passage. On its return to its hid- 
 ing place, they suddenly surrounded it at some 
 distance, with a number of men, some on horse- 
 back, some armed with bows and slings, and 
 others making a great noise with trumpets and 
 other loud instruments- The serpent erecting 
 itself in a menacing posture, terrified the sur- 
 rounding multitude wilh its frightful hissings 
 but, alarmed at the number of its assailants, and 
 by the barking of dogs, and the noise of war- 
 like instruments, it endeavoured to g-ain its re- 
 treat, and fell into the net which was too strong 
 for all its efforts being thus caught and secured 
 with a number of chains, it was earned to Alex- 
 andria alive, when its natural ferocity wa 
 greatly lessened by long fasting.
 
 107 
 
 THE VIPER. 
 
 VIPERS are found in aiany parts of England ; 
 but the dry, stony, and. in particular, ilie 
 chalky countries abound with them. This ani- 
 mal seldom grows to a greater length than two 
 feet ; though, sometimes, they are found above 
 three. The ground colour of their bodies is a 
 dirty yellow ; that of the female is deeper. The 
 back is marked the whole length, with a series 
 of square black spots, touching each other at 
 the points; the sides with triangular ones, the 
 belJy entirely black. It is chiefly distinguished 
 from the common black snake by the colour, 
 which, in the latter, is more beautifully mottled, 
 as well as by the head, which is thicker than the 
 body ; but particularly by the tail, which, in the 
 viper, though it ends in a point, does not run ta- 
 pering to so great a length as in the other. 
 When, therefore, other distinctions fail, the 
 difference of the tail can be discerned at a single 
 glance. 
 
 When angry, th Vfpe.r opens its formidable 
 mouth, armed with poison fang's, and throws out 
 its tongue, composed of two fleshy forked ex- 
 tremities : This tongue is moved vviih such ve- 
 locity, that it seems even to sparkle. A nciently\ 
 the tongue of the viper was considered as a spe- 
 cies of dart, with which it was able to wound 
 its prey it was believed, that the venom was 
 G 2
 
 108 
 
 situated at its double tip, which was then com- 
 pared to a poisonous arrow. This error, pro- 
 bably, had its rise from its being remarked, that 
 the viper always darts out its tongue rapidly 
 when about to bite. The tongue is contained 
 in a kind of sheath in which there is no ve- 
 nom whatever, and its principal use is to catch 
 insects, which form part of the food of vipers. 
 
 The apparatus of poison in the Viper, is very 
 similar to that of the rattle-snake, and all the 
 other poisonous serpents. The symptoms that 
 follow the bite, are an acute pain in the woun- 
 ded part, with a swelling:, at first red, but 
 afterwards lived, which, by degrees, spreads 
 to the adjoining parts; with great faintness, 
 and a quick, though IOW T , and sometimes inter- 
 rupted pulse; sickness at the sfomach, with 
 bilious, convulsive vomitings, cold sweats, and 
 sometimes pain about the navel. The most 
 esteemed remedy is common salad-oil, thoroughly 
 rubbed on the wounded part. In this country, 
 the Viper is not known, in England, though its 
 bite, produces a painful and troublesome swelling, 
 it is rarely attended with any other bad conse- 
 raences. 
 
 The poison, according to Dr. Mead, when 
 diluted with a little warm water, and applied 
 to the tip of the tongue, is sharp and fiery, a 
 sensation taking place, as though the tongue 
 was struck through with something scalding or 
 burning. This, he says, goes off in two or three
 
 109 
 
 hours. One person, mentioned by Dr. Mead, 
 tried a large drop of it undiluted ; in conse- 
 quence of which, his tongue swelled with a little 
 inflammation; and the soreness lasted two da\s. 
 Other persons, on the contrary, assert it to have 
 no particular acrimony of taste, but that, in 
 this respect, it rather resembles oil or gum. 
 Contradictions nearly equal have taken place 
 relative to the effect of viperian poison taken 
 into the stomach. Boerhaave affirms it to produce 
 no ill efi'ect whatever; and the Abbe Fontana, 
 that it is not to be swallowed with impunity 
 although he. is one of those who assert its being 
 devoid of any thing unpleasant to the taste. We 
 are told, however, that in the presence of the 
 Grand Duke of Tuscany, while the philosophers 
 were making elaborate dissertations on the dan- 
 ger of the poison taken inwardly, a viper-catcher, 
 who happened to be present, requested that a 
 quantity of it might be put into a vessel, and then 
 with the utmost confidence, and to the astonish- 
 ment of the whole company, drank it off in their 
 presencx. Every one expected the man instantly 
 to drop down dead; but they soon perceived 
 their mistake, gays the relator of the story, and 
 found that taken inwardly, the poison was as 
 harmless as water. 
 
 The viper differs from most other serpents, in. 
 being much slower, as also in excluding 'itg 
 young completely formed, and bringing them 
 /orth alive. The kiuoRss of Providence seems 
 
 G3
 
 110 
 
 exerted, not only in diminishing the speed, but 
 also the fertility, of this dangerous creature. 
 They are supposed to be about tliree months before 
 they bring forth, and they have seldom above 
 eleven eggs at a time. These are of the size of 
 a blackbird's eggs, and chained together in the 
 womb, like a string of beads. Each egg con- 
 tains from one to four young ones ; so that the 
 whole of a brood may amount to about twenty 
 or thirty. They continue in the womb till they 
 come to such perfection as to be able 10 bur^t 
 from the shell ; and they are said, by their own 
 efforts, to creep from their confinement into the 
 open air, where they continue for several days 
 without taking any food whatsoever. ;t We 
 liave been often assured," says Mr. Pennant, 
 " by intelligent people, of the truth of a fact, that 
 the young of the viper, when terrified, will run 
 down the throat of the parent, and seek shelter 
 in its belly in the same manner as the young of 
 the Opossum and of the Rattle-snake, are 
 said to retire into the ventral pouch of the 
 old one. From this," continues he, <% some have 
 imagined, that the viper is so unnatural as to de- 
 vour its own young ; but this deserves no credit, 
 as these animals live upon frogs, toads, lizards, 
 and young birds, which they swallow whole, 
 though the morsel is often three times as thick as 
 their own body." 1 
 
 The viper is capable of supporting very long 
 abstinence, it being known, that some have been
 
 Ill 
 
 kept in a box six months without food ; yet, dur- 
 ing the whole time, they 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 then box, though they will 
 kill, yet, they will never eat them. When at 
 liberty, they remain torpid throughout the win- 
 ter ; yeUwhen confined, they have never been ob- 
 served to take their annual repose. Their poi- 
 son, however, encreases in proportion to the 
 length of their confinement. 
 
 The Common Viper does not avoid other in- 
 dividuals of the aamc species, but ral her seems, 
 at certain seasons of the year, to seek society. 
 During winter, several vipers are often found 
 rolled up together under heaps of stories or in the 
 hollows of old walls, and it is probable, they thus 
 collect together in order to increase their natural 
 heat, and thereby to put off, as long as possi- 
 ble, the season of torpidity. 
 
 When the skin of the viper becomes, in the 
 smallest degree, injured, it immediately ceases 
 to be supplied with nourishment, and a new 
 skin begins to form below the old one. On 
 this account it is, that almost all vipers, when 
 taken, are found to have two skins, the old 
 skin which is more OP less injured or decayed, 
 and the new skin which is proportionably ad- 
 vanced in growth. They throw off their old 
 skin in the lair weather of spring ; and the new 
 a 4
 
 112 
 
 skin, when first discovered, is far more lively in 
 its colours than the old. It frequently happens, 
 that tins new skin becomes injured, by some 
 means or other, during the summer ; in which 
 case, it dries and becomes shrivelled, and falls 
 off about the end of autumn, being replaced by 
 another new skin, which has grown during sum- 
 mer. Thus, sometimes, the viper changes its 
 coat twice in one year. 
 
 They are usually taken with wooden tongs, 
 by the end of the tail, which may be done with- 
 out danger ; for, while held in that position, 
 they are unable to wind themselves up to hurt 
 their enemy : yet, notwithstanding this precau- 
 tion, the viper-catchers are frequently bit by 
 them: but, by the application of salad oil, the 
 bite is effectually cured. 
 
 One William Oliver^ a viper-catcher, at 
 Bath, was the first who discovered this admira 
 ble remedy. On the first of June, 1735, in 
 the presence of a great number of persons, he 
 suffered himself to be bit by an old black v'per, 
 brought by one of the company, upon the 
 wrist and joint of the thumb of the right 
 hand, so that the drops of blood came out of the 
 wounds: he immediately felt a violent pain, both 
 at the top of his thumb and up his arm, even be- 
 fore the viper was loosened from his hand ; soon 
 after he felt a pain, resembling that of burning, 
 trickle up his arm ; in a few minutes, his eyes 
 began to look red and fiery, and to water much;
 
 113 
 
 in less than an hour, he perceived the venom seize 
 his heart, with a pricking pain, which was at- 
 tended with faintness, shortness of breath, and 
 cold sweats ; in a tew minutes after this, ins belly 
 began to swell, with great gnpings, and pains 
 in his back, which were attended with vomit- 
 ings and purgings : during the violence of these 
 symptoms, his sight was gone for several mi- 
 nutes, but he could hear all the while. He said, 
 that in his former experiments, he had never 
 deferred making use of his remedy longer than 
 he perceived the effects of the venom reaching 
 his heart ; but this time, being willing to satisfy 
 the company thoroughly, and trusting to the 
 speedy effects of his remedy, which was nothing 
 more than olive-oil, he forbore to apply any 
 thing, till he found himself exceedingly ill, and 
 quite giddy. About an hour and a quarter after 
 the first of his being bit, a chaffing-dish of 
 glowing charcoal was brought in, and his naked 
 arm was held over it, as near as he could bear, 
 while his wife rubbed in the oil with her hand, 
 turning his arm continually round, as if she- 
 would have roasted it over the coals : he said, 
 the poison soon abated, but the swelling did not 
 diminish much. Most violent purgings and vo- 
 mitings soon ensued ; and his pulse became so 
 low, and so often interrupted, that it was thought 
 proper to order him a repetition of cordial po- 
 tions; he said, he was not sensible of any great 
 relief from these , but, a glass or two of olive-oil 
 G 5
 
 114 
 
 which be drank, seemed to give him ease. Con- 
 tinuing in this dangerous condition, he was put 
 to bed, where kis arm was airain bathed over a 
 pan of charcoal, and rubbed with salad oil, 
 heated in a ladle over the charcoal, by Dr. Mor- 
 timer's direction, who was the physician that 
 jdrew up the account. From this last operation, 
 he declared that he found immediate ease, as 
 though by some charm : he soon after fell into a 
 profound sleep, and after about nine hours sound 
 rest, awaked about six the next morning, and 
 found himself very well ; but in the afternoon, 
 and after drinking some rum and strong beer, so 
 as to be almost intoxicated, the swelling returned, 
 with much pain and cold sweats, which abated 
 fcoon, on bathing the arm, as before, and wrap- 
 ping it up in brown paper, soaked in the oil. 
 
 Perhaps the most effectual remedy yet emr 
 ployed against the bite of venomous serpents, 
 is some strong volatile substance, as spirits of 
 hartshorn, given in water, as strong as it can 
 be drunk, and frequently repeated, for a consi- 
 derable time; besides applying (he same to the 
 wounded part. The same cure has been found 
 effectual in stings from bees or wa*ps in the in- 
 side of the throat; which sometimes happen in 
 cyder countries, on drinking new cyder, in 
 which, there happen to be hatf-dromied bees or 
 wasps. 
 
 The same William Oliver, presented to the 
 Ro)al Society, a small Viper, bi<; with young,
 
 115 
 
 which wss kept alive in common green raoss, in 
 a box, with a glass cover. She brought forth 
 several young ones, who cast their skins about 
 six weeks alter their birth. Mr. White also 
 surprised a large female Viper which seemed 
 very heavy and bloated, as it lay on the grass 
 basking in the sun. When he came to cut it 
 up, he found within fifteen young ones, the 
 shortest of whieh measured full seven inches,, 
 and were about the size of a full grown earth- 
 worm. This little fry issued into the world with 
 the true Viper spirit about them ; the moment 
 they were disengaged from the body of the dam, 
 they twisted and twirled about, set themselves 
 up, and gaped very wide, when touched with 
 a knile, shewing manifest tokens of defiance^ 
 and malignity, though as yet they had no man- 
 ner of fangs. 
 
 The Viper catchers iu England no longer re- 
 ceive that encouragement from the faculty, 
 which they did when Vipers ftesh was considered 
 strengthening diet, while the fat was supposed 
 to possess many virtues. The French, also, 
 placed great faith in Viper broth, and Viper 
 wine. It has now, however, lost all its ancient 
 credit and is never prescribed by practitioners. 
 
 The Common Viper is found in most coun- 
 tries of the ancient world. In the East Indies,- 
 it is to be met with, with only very slight vari- 
 ation from the individuals of Europe. It is 
 even able to support the severity of cold cli-
 
 116 
 
 mates, being found in Sweden, where its bite is 
 nearly as dangerous as in the warmer countries. 
 It is likewise found in Russia, and in several 
 parts of Siberia, where it is very numerous. 
 The people ignorantly believing that some great 
 disaster would follow any attempt to destroy 
 them. 
 
 THE WATER-VIPER. 
 
 THIS serpent, says Catesby, is called, in Caro- 
 lina, the Water Rattle-snake; not that it hath a 
 rattle, but it is a large snake not unlike the rat- 
 tle snake in colour, and the bite is said to be as 
 mortal. This snake frequents the water, and is 
 never seen at any great distance from it: the 
 back and head are brown, the belly transversely 
 marked with black and yellow alternately the 
 head is large and armed with the like destruc- 
 tive weapons as the rattle-snake ; it is very nim- 
 ble, and particularly dexterous in catching fish. 
 In summer, great numbers are seen lying on the 
 branches of trees, hanging over rivers from 
 which, at the approach of a boat, they drop 
 into the water, and often in to the boat on the 
 men's heads : they lie in this manner to surprise 
 either birds or fish, after which last, they 
 plunge and pursue them with great swiftness,
 
 117 
 
 and catch some of large size, which they carry 
 on shore and swallow whole. One of these I 
 surprised swimming ashore with a large cat-fish 
 in its mouth. The tail is small towards the end* 
 and terminates in a blunt horny point, which, 
 though perfectly harmless, was, for a long time, 
 considered as capable, not only of killing 1 men 
 and other animals, but even of destroying a 
 tree, by wounding it with it -the tree withering, 
 turning black, and dying. 
 
 THE GREAT VIPER OF MARTINIQUE. 
 
 THIS animal is peculiar to the Islands of Mar- 
 tinique, Sf. Lucie, and Beconia, and has never 
 been traced to the American continent. On ac- 
 count of its triangular head, resembling that of 
 a spear, it has' been named by the French natyi- 
 ralists, Ti igonocephalus: when full grown, it is 
 nearly eight feet in length. Its agility is, as 
 well as its mode of darting, very remarkable : 
 it rolls ihe body in four circles, one upon another, 
 the folds of which incline all at once at the will 
 of the animal, so s to throw the whole mass for- 
 ward five or six feet. After the manner of the 
 created or hoodgd snake, it'can raise itself verti- 
 cally on its tail, and thus attain the height of a
 
 us 
 
 man; at the same time that, by means of large 
 seales, laid over each other, with which th 
 belly is covered, this serpent, like the adder, 
 can climb large tvees, and creep among (he 
 branches, in order to reach the birds' nesls, 
 whose young be oevourg, and in \vhich he has 
 often been found coiled up. 
 
 The Martinique Viper, is also, from its form, 
 called the cane shaped viper, and i* one of the 
 most venomous that we know. When it means 
 to attack any animal, it rolls ilself up in a spiral 
 toroi ; and, using its tail as a fixed point, 
 springs with the rapidity of an arrow, but is 
 seldom able to leap to any considerable distance. 
 It has by no means the activity of other serpents ; 
 but especially when the weather is the least cool, 
 it remains very much in a torpid state, concealed 
 amonjr leaves or decayed trees, or in holes in 
 the earth. It very seldom comes into bouses or 
 huis in the country, and is never seen in towers, 
 tut i* often iound in corn grounds, where it 
 feeds on rat. It never assails mankind, except 
 when attacked, or irritated, and never bites till 
 it has worked itself into a kind of rage. Its ap. 
 proach is easily discovered by a strong fetid 
 smell which it emits, and by the cries of birds, 
 particularly one called the white neck by the 
 planters. When any person is surprised by 
 this serpent, its attention is easily occupied by 
 presenting a buoch cf leaves tcsit, or a twig ; 
 until the person can get some oienaire weapon.
 
 One alible Wow is generally sufficient to kill it. 
 Afier cutting off its head, the body continues to 
 move somewhat like a worm, for a considerable 
 time. 
 
 This serpent feeds on lizards, rats, poultry, 
 game, and even on cats. Its mouth and throat 
 are capable of suclr vast distension, that it has 
 been known to swallow a sucking pig. When 
 any prey that it has seized escapes, it follows its 
 tootsieps slowly and with difficulty, yet being 
 very quick of sight and smelling, it seldom fails 
 to succeed at last, especially as the animal it 
 pursues, soon drops in consequence of the en- 
 venomed wound. In swallowing any animal it 
 always begins by the head ; and when its morsel 
 happens 10 be large, it remains a long while on 
 the spot, stretched out in a state of stupefaction, 
 until digestion is somewhat advanced. Its di- 
 gestion is very slow, and when one of them is 
 killed some time after a good meal, the fetid 
 smell from its body is quite insupportable. 
 
 Notwithstanding the disgust which this animal 
 most naturally excite, some negroes and even 
 whites have ventured to eat it, and have found 
 it's flesh good. 
 
 Different opinions are entertained respecting 
 the activity of the venom of this serpent. Our 
 author days, thai there is no instance of any one 
 escaping, who has been bitten by the Martinique 
 cr Lance-shaped Viper; that all died in great 
 agony, and some within six hours after the bile.
 
 120 
 
 It is, indeed, melancholy to read of the man? 
 remedies \vbieh have been unsuccessfully applied 
 to save the lives of those who have beea bitten 
 by this se.rpent, ?wid thai in most eases, except 
 when assistance was immediately obtained, ail 
 that could be accomplished was merely to as- 
 suage the pain of the sufferers, who generally 
 expired a few hours alter being wounded. 
 
 * *"**" V*"*"** 
 
 THE LADY- VIPER. 
 
 THIS, which is a native of the East Indies, i 
 one of the most beautiful and most harmless of 
 serpent?, Its proportions are more delicate 
 than in most others, its motions are nimble 
 though moderate, and the colours of its skin 
 beautifully mixed together ; these however, are 
 only two, a fine black and a pure white, but 
 they are so agreeably contrasted, and so bright 
 from the high polish of the scales, that they 
 please the eje more than the more rich and bril- 
 liant colours of other species, which are often 
 too dazzling. 
 
 The genera! colour of the whole body is white, 
 with rings of black on the whole upper surface, 
 these latter are irregular and somewhat fes- 
 tooned, which adds much to the elegance and 
 tariety of the ornament ; the top of its small
 
 121 
 
 head is beautifully marked with black and while, 
 the former colour prevailing. The eyes are 
 very small, and surrounded with black which 
 augments their lustre. 
 
 This species is very familiar, and never at- 
 tempts to escape from mankind, nor does it eyer 
 shew any signs of fear when approached. It 
 seems remarkably sensible to the degree of cold, 
 which sometimes prevails in hot climates; .on 
 which account, it seeks for warm situations ; and 
 the smallness of its size, the beauty of its co- 
 lours, the gentleness of its inoyemeu.ts, and its 
 harmless disposition, inspire a fondness for it in 
 the Indians: even the females, far from having 
 any fear of it, take it in their hands, caress ai>d 
 cherish it. The ladies in Malabar, where it is 
 very common, and in many other parts of India, 
 are careful to warm this delicate little serpent, 
 ,whe.n it appears languid, during the ool weather 
 of the rainy season. They place it in their bo- 
 soms, without any dread, and it seems perfectly 
 sensible of their kindness ; during the hot sea- 
 son, also, these ladies are equally fond of this 
 viper,which they fondle, for the purpose, in their 
 turn, of being refreshed by the touch of its skin, 
 which is so smooth as always to feel cool. 
 
 ii 3
 
 122 
 
 THE CERASTES. 
 
 THIS venemous serpent is a native of Egypt, 
 as well as of Syria and Arabia. Jt is at once 
 distinguished from other snakes, by two small 
 pointed and arched horns, situated over the 
 eyes; these give the animal a very terrific ap- 
 pearance, though they are not olensive weapons. 
 Billon compares these horns or excrescences to 
 grains of barley, and it is probably this fancied 
 resemblance, which has occasioned some ancient 
 authors to relate, that the Cerastes conceals 
 itself entirely under {alien leaves and grass, 
 leaving only its horns exposed, as a bait for 
 birds, on which, by this contrivance, it preys. 
 
 The usual length of the Cerastes is ffomtwelve 
 to fifteen inches, though they occasionally grow 
 to two feet. The colour on the back is yellow- 
 ish, with spots of a deeper shade, the under 
 surface of the body is a pale lead colour. 
 
 Most writers of antiquity and of the middle 
 ages, considered this as one of the most noble 
 species of serpents, and capable of turning and 
 twisting its body, in every direction, with the 
 greatest facility, insomuch that it never advan- 
 ces straight forwards, but always in curves and 
 winding from side to side, and always making 
 a sort of low hissing or rustling noise, by the 
 motion of its hard scales on each other. Yet 
 however nimble may be its motions, it can very
 
 123 
 
 diffiul;ly efcapej(frono eagie* and other large 
 birds of piey, which pounce upon it with great 
 swiftness on ibis account, these birds were 
 always held in great reverence by the Egyptians* 
 
 If we may depend on the report of travellers, 
 the Cerastes is able to endure a much longer 
 faf, than any of its kind. An apothecary, at 
 Venice, who had resided for some years at 
 Cairo, is said to have kept two Cerastes in a 
 well closed bottle, for five years, without any 
 food ; a little sand was put into the bottle, in 
 which they burrowed, and at the end of that 
 long period, they seemed as full of vigour as if 
 but lately taken, 
 
 Mr- Bruce informs us, that the Cerastes are 
 so fond of heat, that when he and his compani- 
 ons made a fire at night, in order to dress their 
 victual*, they were generally visited by more 
 than half a dozen of these creatures, who burnt 
 themselves to death by approaching too near th* 
 embers. The following account of the Cerastes 
 is nearly in his own words: 
 
 " The Cerastes moves with great rapidity, and 
 in all directions, forward, backward, and s\de, 
 ways. When he is inclined to surprize any one 
 who is tpo far from him, he creeps with his 
 side towards the person, and his head averted, 
 till judging his distance, he turns round, springs 
 upon him, and fastens upon the part next to 
 him ; for it is not true what is said, that th 
 Ceraatea do^s not lap or spring. 1 saw on of
 
 124 
 
 them at Cairo, crawl up the side of a box, in 
 which there were many, and there lie still as it' 
 hiding himself, till one of the people who brought 
 them to us, came near him, \vhen he leaped 
 nearly the distance of three feet, and fastened 
 between the man's fore-finger and thumb, so as 
 to bring the blood. The man showed no sign 
 either of pain or uneasiness, and remained lull 
 four hours without applying any sort of remedy. 
 We were afterwards assured that the animal 
 had not been previously deprived of his fangs, 
 but was in its perfect state, for he shortly after 
 bit a large pelican in the thigh, which called 
 its death in thirteen minutes. 
 
 This, however, is not surprizirg, when we 
 are told that the inhabitants of the East will 
 handle venemous reptiles, with a freedom which 
 a European will hardly credit. For the sake of 
 a livelihood, the Hindoos carry them about in 
 baskets, to show the multitude, and make them 
 gradually uncoil themselves to the sound of their 
 rough music. ' 1 hav^ mpeif," says Brr.ce, 
 ' seen the inhabitants of Africa, take jheCei antes 
 in their hand*, at all times, put them in their 
 bosoms and throw them at one another, as chil- 
 dren do apples or balls, without their being 
 even so irritated by this usage as to bite." They 
 acquire this protection, [he thinks.] by chewing 
 a certain root, and washing themselves with 
 au infusion of certain plants in water. One 
 da>. while he wai silting with one of the
 
 125 
 
 chief people, a servant of his brought a Cerastes 
 which he had just taken out of a hole, and wa 
 using with every sort of familiarity. Bruce 
 suspected that the teeth had been drawn, but he 
 was assured they had not, and to convince hira, 
 the serpent was sent home to him, when it bit a 
 chicken by the neck, which, in consequence, 
 died immediately ; he concludes with saying, 
 that he was, at different times, exceedingly anxi- 
 ous to try the efficacy of the herbs they made uae 
 -of, by washing himself with an infusion of them, 
 -but his heart always failed him, as he was about 
 to try the experiment. 
 
 A man who came from above .the catacombs, 
 where the pits of the mummy birds-are kept, who 
 shas taken, says Mr. B. a Cerastes with hi.s naked 
 ihand, from a number of otners lying at the bottom 
 <of a tub, has put it upon his bare head, covered it 
 with the common red cap he wears, then taken 
 cit out, put it on his breast, and tied it about his 
 neck like a necklace ; after which it has been 
 applied to a hen, and bit it, which has died lii 
 a few minutes ; and, to complete the experi- 
 ment, the man has taken it by the neok, and, 
 beginning at the tail, has eaten it, as one would 
 do a carrot, or a stock of celery, without any 
 seeming repugnance. 
 
 However lively the snake may have been be- 
 fore, when he is seized by any of thes?. barbari- 
 ans, he seems as if taken with sickness and.
 
 126 
 
 feebleness, frequently shuts his eyes, and never 
 .tarns hi^ moui.h towards the arm of the person 
 who holds him. 
 
 .. .-,**...... 
 
 THE HOODED OR SPECTACLE SNAKE. 
 
 THIS most poisonous of serpents, derives its 
 Portuguese name of Cobra de Capelio, or 
 Hooded Snake, from a custom which it has when 
 irritaied, of swelling out the skin of its neck, 
 and drawing in its head, KO as 10 produce, in 
 some degree, a resemblance to a hood. It is 
 from three to eight feet long, with two large 
 i'angs hanging out of the upper jaw. It has also 
 a mark of dark brown on the forehead, which 
 when viewed frontwise, looks like a pair of 
 spectacles: it is also known by the appel- 
 lation of the Spectacle Snake. The eyes are 
 fierce and full of fire, and the bite so deadly, 
 that it is said to be incurable, the patient dying 
 in about an hour after the wound ; the whole 
 frame being dissolved into one putrid mass of 
 corruption. 
 
 The Hooded Snake is a native of India, where 
 it is much dreaded for the malignity of its poi- 
 son. The Indians who travel in the woods 
 with naked feet, are justly afraid of it, as it 
 springs upon them with great agility, and its 
 bite we have already remarked, produces inevita-
 
 121 
 
 bit* death, unless the proper remedies are in- 
 stantly made use of. Nevertheless, I he Indian 
 jugglers contrive lo tame them among other 
 serpents, which they exhibit to the people. On 
 these occasions, the showman holds a particular 
 root in his hand, which, he pretends, has the 
 power of insuring him against its venomous bitr. 
 Taking the serpent from a cloie vessel in which 
 it is ordinarily kept confined, he enrages it by 
 threatening it with a stick or his fist. The 
 serpent immediately erects itself upon its tail m 
 a posture of defence, blows up its neck, opens 
 its dreadful mouth with a hissing noise, thrust- 
 ing out its forked tongue and, (moving itself 
 with great vivacity, while its eyes glance like 
 fire) begins a kind of combat with its master, 
 who continues to threaten it with his fists, which 
 he moves continually and briskly up and down 
 and from side to side, singing all the while. 
 The terrified or enraged animal keeping its eyes 
 constantly fixed on the hand which threatens if, 
 follows every motion, balancing its head and 
 body on its tail always fixed in the same spot, 
 and thus gives the appearance of a kind of dance. 
 The reptile can continue this kind of exercise 
 for about seven minutes, but whenever the jug- 
 gler perceives that his serpent grows wearied, 
 and is about to fly from the combat he ceases his 
 song, and removes the threatening hand. The 
 snake now ceases its seeming dance, and extends 
 itself on the ground, when the master seizes it 
 by the neck and replaces it in his box or jar.
 
 THE HOODED OR SPICTACLE SN^KE.
 
 120 
 
 jShaw itiforms us, that he was assured of ther$ 
 being forty thousand persons in Cairo and it 
 surrounding villages,wbo lived on lizards and ser- 
 pents without other food ; from which circum- 
 stances, they have the distinguished honour of 
 walking next in procession to some rich banners, 
 embroidered in black silk, which are, on a par- 
 ticular day in the year, taken from the castle of 
 Cairo, and carried through the streets with 
 great pomp. 
 
 From the observations of a traveller who 
 resided a long time in India, we have the fol- 
 lowing account of the method which these show- 
 won use, to train up their serpents to the dance. 
 When an Indian has procured a Hooded snake 
 for this purpose, he turns it out of the jar in 
 which it is kept, and prevents its escape with a 
 stick, which he uses to provoke it to fight, 
 holding the stick in one hand and the empty jar 
 in the other. Whenever the snake attempts to 
 bite, it is presented with the jar, against which 
 it hurts its nose, and is obliged to start back. 
 This exercise is continued, till the animal, al- 
 ways foiled in its attack, and hurt against the 
 jar, every turn it attempts to bile, is obliged to 
 give up the unequal combat; but constantly 
 keeps its eyes fixed on the hard body which is 
 presented to it, and follows every motion. Thus 
 by repeated lessons, the serpent is at length 
 trained to the task, and as it no longer attempts 
 to bite, the showman ventures to threaten it
 
 ISO 
 
 with his hand and always, accompanies this ex- 
 ercise with a kind of music, from whence it has 
 i>een named a dance. 
 
 We are also told, that not only these snakes 
 are carried about, in the manner above-menti- 
 oned, but also serpents of larger dimensions, 
 indeed the jugglers are frequently observed to 
 carry a large snake in a basket, which uncoiled 
 itself at the command of its master, and was con- 
 veyed round to the spectators on the shoulders at' 
 men. 
 
 This then, sufficiently explains the influence 
 which the showmen appear to exercise over the 
 Hooded snakes. As in other fierce animals, it 
 is produced by education but it still remains a 
 matter of wonder, to what we are to ascribe the 
 power which music has, upon even those who 
 have never been taught to fear a master. It is 
 a well known fact, that when a house is infested 
 with those snakes, musicians are sent for, who 
 by playing a low and monotonous kind of tuue 
 upon their flute, draw the animals from their 
 hiding places, and destroy *ttiem ; for no sooner 
 do they hear the music, than they glide softly 
 from their retreats, and are easily taken. 
 
 Nothing can afford a stronger proof of this 
 fact, than the following circumstance, which is 
 stated, upon respectable authority, to have 
 occurred at the house of a gentleman, for a long 
 time resident in India.
 
 % 13 1 
 
 &t this person's residence, a large, company 
 \vere assembled, and .were seated at dinner,when 
 a hooded snake, which had glided in unobserved, 
 and doubtless remained concealed under thetabie, 
 was seen to twine itself round the frame oi aehair 
 on which a lady gat, and gradually mount till 
 it had brought its head and neck on a level with 
 Jiers. The alarm of every one present may well 
 he conceived ; they feared to make the slightest 
 attempt at affording assistance, lest the effort 
 might irritate the animal, who could inflict its 
 foite with a quickness greater than they could 
 prevent. At last it was suggested, that the 
 musicians should be sent for : they were at some 
 distance and the lady herself was intreated not 
 to exhibit any alarm, which could rouse the an- 
 ger of the Serpent, who all the time Continued 
 10 move about near her person, without offering 
 tier any violence. After half an hour of suspense, 
 the music was at last heard, but so faint from 
 distance, that it was the snake itself which gave 
 the tirst intimation of; its arrival. It suddenly 
 erected its head, in, the attitude of listening, and 
 gradually, as the sounds became more distinct, 
 uncoiled itself, glided dawn the frame of the 
 hair, and out of the room, where the musicians 
 were prepared to seize him. 
 
 Mr. Forbes informs us, that when the music 
 ceases, the snakes appear motionless; but rf 
 not immediately covered up in a basket, the 
 are liable to fatal accidents. He
 
 132 
 
 ^mentions having had one exhibited before him, 
 winch danced for an hour on his table, and which 
 he frequently handled during that .time, not 
 doubting butjits fangs had been previously extract- 
 ed. The first day, however, its master was 
 showing it in the market place, and entertaining 
 with its dance the country people who sat round, 
 when either from the music stopping too suddenly, 
 or from some other cause irritating the vicious 
 reptile, it darted at the throat of a young woman, 
 and inflicted a wound, of which she died in 
 about hall an hour. 
 
 THE COMMON OR RINGED SNAKE. 
 
 THE Common or Ringed snakes are well-known 
 inhabitants of moist and warm woods in Eng- 
 land, on the dry basks of which they are often 
 seen during the summer, either sleeping or bask- 
 ing themselves. They are likewise found in 
 bushes in moist places, and are often seen to 
 take the water, as they swim perfectly well. 
 In the Viper, the young are excluded alive, as 
 we have mentioned, this is not the case with 
 the Common snake, which deposits her eggs 
 from fourteen to twenty in number, either in a 
 hole with a warm aspect, or in dunghils, where 
 they remain till the following spring before they
 
 133 
 
 are hatched.. They are harmless and inoffensive 
 animals^ being totally destitute of every means 
 of injuring mankind. 
 
 In. winter, these snakes conceal themselves, 
 and become nearly torpid ; re-appearing in 
 spring, when they uniformly cast their skins. 
 This is a process which they also seem to un- 
 dergo in the autumn. Mr. White says, " About 
 the middle of this month, (September) we found 
 in a field, near a hedge, the slough of a large 
 snake, which seemed to have been newly cast. 
 From circumstances, it appeared as if turned 
 wrong side outward, and as if it had been drawn 
 off backward, like a stocking or woman's glove. 
 Not only the whole skin, but the scales from 
 the very eyes were peeled off, and appeared in 
 the head of the slough like a pair of spectacles. 
 The reptile, at the time of changing his coat, 
 had entangled himself intricately in the grass 
 and weeds ; in order that the friction of the 
 stalks and blades might promote this curious 
 shifting of the exuviae. 
 
 It would be a most entertaining sight, could 
 a person be an eye-wilness tq such a feat, and 
 sse the snake in the act of changing its garment. 
 As the convexity of the eyes in the slough is not 
 inward, that circumstance alone is a proof that 
 the skin has been turned. Thus it appears, from 
 what has been said, that snakes crawl out of the 
 mouth of their own sloughs, and quit the tail- 
 part last, just as eels are skinned by a cook-
 
 134 
 
 maid. While the scales of the eyes are becom- 
 ing loose, and a new skin is forming, the crea- 
 ture, in appearance, must be blind, and feel 
 itself in a very aukward and uneasy situation. 
 
 Several instances have occurred of the Com- 
 mon Snake being, in some degree, domesticated. 
 Mr. White says, that he knew a gentleman who 
 had one in his house quite tame. Though this 
 was usually as sweet in its person as any other 
 animal, yet, whenever a stranger, or a dog or 
 a oat entered, it would begin to hiss, and soon 
 fill the room with an effluvia so nauseous, as 
 to render it almost insupportable. In Sardinia, 
 the country people are very partial to these 
 snakes, frequently keeping them with great care, 
 and putting their food which they have pre- 
 pared for them, into ttwir mouths. 
 
 A. friend of Mr. Bingley's had a Common 
 Snake in his rooms at Cambridge, nearly three 
 months. He kept it in a box of bran ; and, 
 during all that time, he never could discover 
 that it ate any thing, although he frequently put 
 both eggs and frogs, the favourite food of this 
 species, into the box. Whenever he was in 
 the room, he ued to let the animal out of its pri- 
 son : it wouid fir. c t crawl several times round 
 the floor, apparently with a desire to escape ; 
 and, when it found its attempts fruitless, would 
 climb up the tables and chairs, and not wnfre- 
 quentiy even up the chair of its owner, a* h*. 
 sat at table. At length, it became so f
 
 135 
 
 as to lie in a serpentine form on the upper bar 
 of his chair : it would crawl through his fingers, 
 if held at a little distance before its head, or 
 lie at full length upon his table, while he was 
 writing or reading, for an hour or more at a 
 time. When first brought into the room, it 
 used to hiss and dart out its forked tongue ; 
 but in no instance emitted any unpleasant vapour. 
 In all its actions it was remarkably cleanly. 
 Sometimes it was indulged with a run upon the 
 grass, in the court of the college; and some- 
 times with a swim in a large bason of wfiter, 
 which it seemed to enjoy very much. When 
 this gentleman left the University, he gave his 
 bedmaker orders to turn it out into the fields; 
 \vhich, he believes, was done. 
 
 These animals prey on frogs, insects, worms, 
 and mice ; for the former of which they often 
 go into the water, where they swim with great 
 elegance. After a snake has devoured a toler- 
 ably large frog, or a small bird, its prey will 
 be seen to form a knot in its body; and it then 
 becomes so stupid and inactive as easily to be 
 caught. The Common Snakes are said to be 
 particularly fond of milk, so much so. that they 
 will occasionally creep into dairies to drink 
 the milk from the vessels. It is even said that 
 they will twine themselves round the legs of 
 oows, in order to reach their udders, and they 
 will sometimes suck them till the blood follows !
 
 136 
 
 The Americans are said to encourage these 
 T-eptiles, on account of their great use in clearing 
 the houses of rats, which they will pursue with 
 amazing agility, and even chase them to the 
 roofs of the barns and outhouses. The farmer's 
 wives, however, have no cause to rejoice in 
 their inmates, since they not only skim the milk- 
 pans of the cream, but rob the hen-roosts of the 
 eggs. Catesby tells us, they have been found 
 coiled up in a nest under a sitting hen ; they are 
 so very active, and pass along the ground with 
 such speed, that it is almost impossible for the 
 person to escape, when vhey are determined to 
 overtake him; the only way to get rid of the 
 creature, is to face it boldly and strike it witji 
 a stick. 
 
 It was a variety of this snake, which had 
 been so completely tamed by a lady, as to come 
 to her whenever she called it, follow her in her 
 walks, wind itself round her, and sleep in her 
 bosom. One day, when this lady went in a 
 boat to some distance up a large river, she 
 threw the snake into the water, imagining; that 
 it could easily recover the boat by swimming ; 
 but the current proving unusually strong at this 
 time, owing to the advance of the tide, the poor 
 animal, in spite of all its efforts to reach the ves- 
 sel, was unfortunately drowned. On the ap- 
 proach of winter, this kind of snake, like the 
 common snake, retires into some underground 
 retreat, and passes that season in a state of tor-
 
 ": :-.",- 137 
 
 pidity, from which it recovers in the spring, 
 when it casts its skin and appears in its highest 
 beauty. 
 
 Very few of these snakes which take the 
 water, have fangs, or are in any degree vpne- 
 inous. In the Guzerat lakes in India, says Mr. 
 Forbes, they are of beautiful colours, and their 
 mode of pursuing their prey is extremely curi- 
 ous ; they watch the frogs, lizards, young 
 ducks, and other animals, when reposing on the 
 margin of the lake, and at a favourable oppor- 
 tunity, swallow (hem whole, though oftentimes 
 thicker than themselves: These snakes in their 
 turn, become food to the larger water fowl 
 which frequent the lakes, who also swallow them 
 and their contents entire ; thus it sometimes 
 happens, that a large duck not only gulps down 
 the living serpent, but also one of its brood, 
 which was still existing in its maw Barrow 
 relates a very curious fact, respecting living 
 serpents in the stomach of a secretary bird after 
 its death, which puts the matter beyond doubt. 
 An English gentleman at the Gape of Good 
 Hope, killed a secretary bird, which he carried 
 home with the intention of having an accurate 
 drawing made from it. He threw it on the floor 
 of the balcony near the house ; where after it 
 iiad remained some time, and been examined 
 and tossed about, one of the company observed 
 the head of a large snake pushing open the bill, 
 cur of which it speedily crawled, in perfect vigour
 
 and free from any injury ; on the supposition 
 that others might be snll in the stomach, the 
 bird was suspended by the legs, and presently 
 a second made its appearance as large and a* 
 lively as the first. 
 
 THE BLACK SN'AKE. 
 
 THE Black Snake is a North American Ser- 
 pent that grows to a great length. It is very 
 smooth and slender, black on the upper parts, 
 and ot' a pale biua benrath, except the throat, 
 which is white. 
 
 The activity of these animals is astonishing, 
 since, in speed, they will sometimes equal a 
 hors>e. Their different motion* are very divert- 
 ing : they will, at times, climb (he trees in quest 
 of tree-frogs ; or, for other pro, glide at full 
 length along the ground. On some occasions, 
 they present themselves half erecr, and in this 
 posture, their eyes and their heads appear to 
 great advantage. The former display a fiery 
 brightness, by means of which, we ave told, they 
 are able to fascinate birds, and the smaller qua- 
 drupeds, in a manner similar to the rattle-snake. 
 Their body is said to be so bntile, that if, when 
 pursued, they get their head into a bole, and a 
 person seizes bold of the tail, this will often 
 iwist itself to pieces.
 
 rtf 
 
 The Black Snake is sometimes bold enough 
 to attack a man, but may be driven off by a 
 smart stroke from a stick, or whatever other 
 weapon he may chance to have in his hand. 
 When it overtakes a person, who has endeavour- 
 ed to escape (not having had courage to oppose 
 it,) it is said to wind itself round his legs in 
 such a manner as to throw him down, and theu 
 to bite him several times in the leir, or wher- 
 ever it can lay hold of, and run off again. 
 
 During Professor Kalm's residence at Ne\v 
 York, Doctor Golden told him that in the spring 
 of 1 748, he had several workmen at his country- 
 spat, and among them, one just arrived from 
 Europe, who, of course, knew but little of the 
 qualities of the Black Snake. The other work- 
 men, who observed a male and female lying 
 together, engaged their new companion to kill 
 one of them. He accordingly approached them 
 wifh a stick in his hand: this the male observed, 
 and made towards him. The man little ex- 
 pected to find such courage in the reptile, and 
 flinging away his stick, ran off as fast as he was 
 able. The Snake pursued, overtook him, and 
 twisting several times round his legs, threw 
 him down, and almost frightened the poor fel- 
 low out of his senses. He could not rid him- 
 self of the animal, without cutting it through, in 
 two or three places, with a knife. The other 
 workmen laughed heartily at the incident, 
 without once offering to help their companion,
 
 HO 
 
 considering the whole affair, only as a sceae of 
 the highest amusement. 
 
 This Snake, which is altogether innoxious, 
 is very greedy of rniik. and it is difficult to keep 
 it out, when once i( is accustomed to get into a 
 ce!iar where milk is kept. If has been seen 
 taking out of the same dish with children, with- 
 out biting them, though they often gave it blows 
 with their spoons upon the head, when it was 
 too greedv. 
 
 The following description of a contest between 
 the Black Snake, and a Serpent of another species, 
 is extracted from the Letters of an American far- 
 mer : " One of my constant walks when I am 
 at leisure (says this gentleman) is in my low- 
 lands, where I have ihe pleasure of seeing my 
 cattle, horses, and colls, Exuberant grass re- 
 plenishes all my fields, the best representative 
 of our wealth. In the middle of that tract, I 
 have cut a diich eight feet wide. On each side 
 of this, I carefully sow. every year, some grains 
 of hemp, the plants from which rise to the height 
 of fifteen feet, so strong and full of limbs as to 
 resemble young trees. These produce natural 
 arbours, rendered often still more compact by 
 the assistance of an annual creeping plant, which 
 we call a vine, that never fails to entwine itself 
 among the branches, and always produces a 
 very desirable shade. As I was one day sitting 
 sol'iary and pensive; in this primitive arbour, 
 my attention was engaged by a streiige sort of
 
 . 141 
 
 riiJiUmw; noise, at some pae?s" distance. I 
 looked all around without distinguishing aay 
 thing, until i climbed up one of my great hemp- 
 stalks ; when, to roy astonishment, I beheld 
 two snakes of considerable length, the one pur- 
 suing the other, with great celerity, through a 
 hemp stubble neld. The aggressor was of the 
 biaok kind, six feet long ; the fugitive was a 
 Water Snake, nearly oi' equal dimensions. 
 They soon met, and, in the fury of their first 
 encounter, appeared in an instant firmly twisted 
 together; and, whilst their united tails beat the 
 ground, they mutually tried, with open jawg, to 
 lacerate each other. What a fell aspect did 
 they present ! Their heads were cuinpressed 
 to a very small size , their eyes flashed fire ; 
 and after this conflict had lasted about live mi- 
 nutes, the second found means to disengage itself 
 from the first, and hurried towards (he ditch. 
 Its antagonist instantly assumed a new posture, 
 and half creeping, half erect, with a majestic 
 mien, overtook and attacked the other again, 
 which placed itself iu a similar attitude, and 
 prepared to resist. The scene was uncommon, 
 for thus opposed, they fought wnh their jaws, 
 biting each other with the utmost rage ; but, 
 notwithstanding this appearance of mutual cow- 
 rage and fury, the water-snake still seemed de- 
 sirous of retreating towards 4he di*ch, its natuaai 
 element. This was no ^oo&er perceived by the 
 keen-eyed Diack one, tb&a twisting i*s tail twice
 
 142 
 
 round a stalk of hemp, and seizing its adversary 
 by the ihroat, not by means of its jawn, but by 
 twisting ifs own neck twice round that of ihe 
 water snake, it pulled him back from the ditch. 
 To prevent a defeat, the latter took hold like- 
 wise of a stalk on the bank, and, by the acqui- 
 sition of that point of resistance, became a match 
 for his tierce antagonist. Strange was this to 
 behold : two great snakes strongly adhering to 
 the ground, mutually fastened together by means 
 of ihe writhings which lashed them tc-each other, 
 and stretched at their full length : they pulled, 
 but pulled in vain ; and, in the moments of 
 greatest exertion, that part of their bodies which 
 was entwined, seemed extremely small, while 
 the rest appeared inHated, and now and then 
 convulsed with strong undulations, rapidly fol- 
 lowing each other. Their eyes appeared on tire, 
 and ready to start out of their heads. At one 
 time, the conflict seemed decided ; the water- 
 snake bent itself into great folds, and by that 
 operation rendered the other more than com- 
 monly outstretched ; the next minute the new 
 struggles of the black one gained an unexpected 
 superiority, it acquired two greal folds likewise, 
 which necessarily extended the body of its ad- 
 versary, in proportion a it had contracted its 
 own. These efforts were alternate, victory 
 seemed doubtful, inclining sometimes to one 
 tide, sometimes to the other ; until, at last, the 
 siaik to which the black snake was fastened,
 
 143 
 
 suddenly gave way, and, in consequence of this 
 accident, they both plunged into the ditch. The 
 waier did not extinguish their vindictive rage, 
 for by their agitation*, I could still trace, though 
 1 could not distinguish, their attacks. They 
 soon re-appeared on the surface, twisted together, 
 as .in their first onset : but the black snake 
 seemed to regain its wonted superiority ; for iu 
 head was exactly fixed above that of the other, 
 .which it incessantly pressed down under the water, 
 until it was stifled, and sunk. -The victor no 
 sooner perceived its enemy incapable of further 
 resistance, than, abandoning it to the currtnt, 
 it.returned to the shore and disappeared. 11 
 
 > M>^X<'<'' 
 
 THE WHIP SN'AKE. 
 
 This animal, which is a native of the east, 
 is about five feet long, yet not much thicker 
 .than the thong of a coachman's whip. It is ex- 
 ceedingly venomous, and its bite is said to kill in 
 about six hours. One of the missionaries, happen- 
 ing to enter into an Indian pagoda, saw what he 
 took to be a whip-cord lying on the floor, and 
 stooped to take it up; but, upon handling it, 
 what was his surprize to find that it was ani- 
 mated, and no other than the whip-snake, of 
 which H had heard such formidable accounts : 
 iPixn'ideutiatly however, he grasped the animal 
 .by the head, so that it had no power to hue
 
 144 
 
 bim, and o?ily tnislvd ils folds up his arm. In 
 this manner he held it, till it was killed by those 
 who came to his assistance. 
 
 The Corican, says Mr. Forbes in his Oriental 
 Memoirs, abounds with this kind of serpent. 
 This animal conceals itself among the branches 
 of trees, from whence it darts rapidly on the 
 cattle grazing below, generally at the eye. One 
 of them, near the hot wells, flew at a bull ; and 
 wounding him in the eye, threw him into a vio- 
 lent agony ; he tore up the ground in a furious 
 manner, and foaming at the mouth, died in about 
 half an ^9ur. 
 
 THE SEA SERPENT. 
 
 The existence of this Marine prodigy on the 
 coast of North America, has been placed be- 
 yond a doubt, by the multiplied evidences pro- 
 cured by the Linns?an Sociei} of New England, 
 established at iioston. Their enquiries were 
 founded on the rumours current!) spiead, on 
 various authorities, that in the month of August. 
 1817, an animal of a very singular appearance 
 had been repeatedly seen in *he harbour of 
 Gloucester, Cape Ann, about thirty miles from 
 Boston. It was said lo resemble a serpent in its 
 general form and motions, to be of immense 
 size, and to move with wonderful rapidity : lo 
 appear on tbe surface of the pater in calm aod
 
 -bright weather only ; and to seem jointed, or 
 like a number of buoys or casks following each 
 other in a line. The following is a brief abstract 
 f the evidences taken on oath, in support of these 
 .rumours. The depositions were made before 
 Lonson Nash, Esq. a magistrate of Gloucester, 
 by whose own account of the animal, of which 
 .be had a distinct view, it may not be improper 
 to preface the various evidences adduced. 
 
 Mr. Nash saw the serpent at the distance of 
 .about two hundred and fifty yards. It was so 
 ,long a that the two extremes were not visible at 
 one view, with a telescope. He therefore judged 
 it to be seventy, or, perhaps, a hundred !'* >v 
 .length. He perceived eight distinct portion, 
 or bunches, apparently caused by the vertical 
 .motion gf the animal, which he .conjectures ,to 
 be straight. ,In this vertical motion all the tes- 
 timonies agree, .as well as in the apparent 
 bunches. The track made in the water was 
 visible for half a mile, and the progress of the 
 animal, when on its surface, a mile in four mi- 
 nutes; but when immersed, by the motion of 
 the water, which could be often traced, he ap- 
 peared to move a mile in two minutes, or m 
 three minutes at the most. His body was of the 
 size of a half barrel, apparently rojugb, and of a 
 very dark colour, in which latter particular, all 
 the accounts coincide. 
 
 A ship-master, and two of his. men, being in 
 a boat, approached this monstrous animal to
 
 146 
 
 within the short distance of thirty feet. They 
 describe it as being of the serpent form, its head 
 resembling that of a land snake, and very large, 
 of the size of a ten gallon-keg. It darted out 
 its tongue, the extremity of which resembled a 
 fisherman's harpoon, to the extent of two feet, 
 raising it perpendicularly, and again letting it 
 fall. Over each of the eyes, which were very 
 bright, was a bunch. Its body was apparently 
 about two feet and a half in circumference. Its 
 motion was at the raie of twelve or fourteen 
 miles in an hour, much swifter than that of a 
 whale, or any other fish, and vertical, but 
 steady. 
 
 Another ship-master attests that he saw the 
 serpent three times, twenty or thirty persons 
 being present, at the distance of about 150 
 yards. Its apparent length was 80 or 90 feet, 
 and its size that of a half barrel. It had joints, 
 i>r bunches, from head to tail; its head, which 
 was raised two feet above the water, resembled 
 that of a rattlesnake, and was of the size of a 
 horse's head. Its mouth was open about ten inches. 
 Its body was of a dark chocolate colour, and 
 rough and scaly. In turning short and quick, 
 the first part of the curve it made, resembled the 
 link of a chain; but when the head came paral- 
 lel with the tail, they appeared near together ; 
 when on the surface of the water, its motion 
 was slow, the animal at times playing about in 
 circles, and at others, moving nearly straight
 
 J47 
 
 forward. In disappearing, it apparently sunfc 
 directly down. 
 
 The other depositions were seven in number, 
 three by merchants, one by a ship-master, one 
 by a ship-carpenter, and two by marines. One 
 of them describes the tongue of the animal as re- 
 sembling a prong, or spear, elevated about 
 twelve inches, six inches in circumference, and 
 terminating in a small point. The body appeaFed 
 to be jointed, round, and about the size of that 
 of a man. The other accounts agree in the fore- 
 going particulars, (all testifying the enormous 
 length of the animal, which in some instances they 
 estimate at 70 feet;) and also in the extreme rapi- 
 dity of iis motion through the water. This mo- 
 tion was vertical, like that of the caterpillar. 
 The ship-carpenter, Mathew Gafney, being in 
 a boat on the I4ih of August, and within thirty 
 feet of the animal, discharged his piece, carry- 
 ing a large ball, at its head, which he thought 
 he struck. The creature turned immediately 
 towards the boat, as if to approach it ; but sunk 
 down, and went directly under it, again making 
 its appearance at about one hundred yards dis- 
 tance. It did not turn down like a fish, but 
 appeared to settle directly down like a rock. 
 
 The society having been informed that an 
 animal resembling the above, had been seen at 
 Plymouth, a sea-port belonging to the United 
 States, two or three years before, procured the
 
 148 
 
 ,-following testimony on oath from a ship-master 
 residing there. 
 
 On the 20th of June, 1815, this deponent, 
 Eikanah Finney, was suddenly called to witness 
 ,a strange appearance in the cove, next his house. 
 By the aid of his glass, he was satisfied in a 
 moment that he was some aquatic animal, with 
 the form, motion, and appearance of which, he 
 had been hitherto unacquainted. Jt moved, at the 
 distance of a quarter of a mile from the shore, 
 with great rapidity towards the north, being 
 .then apparently about thirty feet in length ; but 
 in again making towards the cove, it displayed 
 a much greater length, not less, in the deponents 
 opinion, than a hundred feet. It approached 
 him, in a southerly direction very rapidly, until 
 it came in a line with him, when it stopped, 
 and lay entirely still on the surface of the water. 
 44 I had then," observes the deponent, " a good 
 view of the animal, through my glass, at the dis 
 tance of a quarter of a mile. His appearance 
 in this situation was like a string of buoys. I 
 saw perhaps thirty or forty protuberances or 
 bunches, which were about the size of a barrel. 
 The head which tapered off to the size of a horsVs 
 head, appeared to be about six or eight feet long, 
 and where it was connected with the body.wao a 
 little larger than the latter. 1 could not discern 
 any mouth; but what I supposed to be his under- 
 jaw had a white stripe extending the whqls 
 length of his head, just above the water. Wniie
 
 he I&y in this situation, he appeared to be about 
 a hundred or a hundred and twenty feet long. 
 The body appeared to be of a uniform size. I 
 saw no part of the animal which I suppose to be 
 a tail, and thought, therefore, that, he did not dis- 
 cover to me his whole length. His colour was 
 a deep brown or black. I could not discover 
 any eyes, mane, gills, or breathing hol^s. I 
 did not see any fins or legs. The animal did not 
 utter any sound, and did not appear to notice 
 anything, but remained still and motionless, for 
 live minutes or more. The wind was light, 
 with a clear sky, and the water quite smooth. 
 He then moved to the southward, but not with 
 so rapid a motion as before. The next morning, 
 about eight o'clock, it being quite calm, I again 
 saw the animal about a mile to the northward of 
 my house, down the beach : he did not display 
 so great a length as the night before, perhaps 
 not more than twenty or thirty feet. He often 
 disappeared, and was gone five or ten minutes 
 under .water. I thought Jie was diving or fishing 
 for food. He remained nearly in the same situ- 
 ation, and thus employed, for nearly two hours. 
 I then saw him move off, in a northern direction, 
 towards ihe light-house. I could not determine 
 whether his motion was up and down, or to the 
 right and left ; but his quickest motion was very 
 rapid ; 1 should suppose at the rate of fifteen or 
 twenty miles an hour. Mackarel, herrings, and 
 other bait fish, abound in the cove where the 
 animal was se'eu/*
 
 This deposition is considered as impartial 
 and unbiassed, it agreeing uniformly wiih the 
 Deponent's first declarations in 1815. When 
 made, he had not perused the testimonials pro- 
 cured at Cape Ann: and having been engaged 
 from his youth in foreign voyages, and frequently 
 seen whales, and almost every species or fish, 
 his testimony must be allowed to have weight. 
 
 In corroboration of the, existen ce ol the Sea 
 Serpent on the coast of North America, the testi- 
 mony of the Rev. Mr. Cummings, a clergyman 
 employed in the Missions of the district Maine, 
 is adduced by the Society. His relation, made 
 in the month of June, 1809, was taken down in 
 writing by a friend, it states that in Penobscot 
 bay, a Sea Serpent, supposed to be about sixty 
 feet in length, and of the size of a sloop's mast, 
 had been occasionally seen within the last thirty 
 years. Mr Cumrnings being with a party, in a 
 boat twenty three feet in length, the animal ap- 
 proached to within fifteen rods, and was judged 
 to be about three times that length. He held Ins 
 head, which resembled that of a common snake, 
 flattened, and about the size of a pail, five feet 
 out of the water. About the head and neck, the 
 colour was a bluish green ; but the tint of the 
 body could not be determined, on account of the 
 rippling of the water. The Bruisn. Mr. Cum- 
 mings observed, saw him in their expedition to 
 'Bagadu^-e, and estimated htj length at three 
 'hundred feet, winon he thought an exaggeration.
 
 151 
 
 He added that this animal had been frequently 
 se by the inhabitants of Fox and Long Islands, 
 Mourn Desert, <%c. 
 
 In communication to the Society from which 
 the above extract is made, there are two other 
 testimonies, .that oi Captain Lillis, 4 who observed 
 that he had seen off the coast, in 1809, a very 
 singular fish, about forty feet in length, which 
 appeared more like an ordinary serpent than a 
 fish, holding his head erect, without a mane; 
 and that of a resident of one of the Islands in 
 the Bay of Penobscot, who declared that he bad 
 often seen a marine monster of this description, 
 which was as large as a sloop's boom, and about 
 sixty or seventy feet long. He asserted that 
 about the year 1780, as a schooner was lying 
 at the mouth of the river, or in the bay, one of 
 these enormous creatures leaped over it between 
 the masts; the man ran into the hold for fright, 
 and the weight of the serpent sunk the vessel, 
 vvhieh was of eighteen tons burden, 'one streak,? 
 or plank. 
 
 Extracts a/re given by the society, From the 
 Natural History of Norway, by Pontoppidan, 
 Bishop of Bergen, to shew how much his ac- 
 count of the Sea Serpent on the Norwegian coast 
 agrees wilh the above depositions and statements. 
 The following passage will suffice to evince this, 
 with the difference, however, that the Norwe- 
 gian Serpent is much longer, and of a proporti- 
 onate bulk. " Though one cannot," bays tber
 
 rot 
 
 Bishop. <; have an opportunity to t&ke die exact 
 dimensions of this creature, yet all who have 
 seen it are unanimous in affirming, as far as 
 they can judge at a distance, that it appears to 
 be the length of a cable, i. e. one hundred fa- 
 thoms, or six hundred English feet ; that if ties 
 on the surface of the water, when it is very calm, 
 in many folds ; and that there are, in aline with 
 the head, some small parts of the hack to be seen 
 above the surface of the \vater, when it moves 
 or bends. These at a distance appear like so 
 many casks or hogsheads floating in a line, with 
 a considerable- distance between them. Mr. 
 Tuchsen, of Heroe, is the only one of the many 
 correspondents I have, who informs me that be 
 has observed the difference between the body 
 and the tail of this creature, as to thickness. It 
 appears that it does not, like theeel or land snake, 
 taper gradually to a point, but that the body, 
 which looks to be as big as two hogsheads, grows 
 remarkably small at once where the tail begins. 
 The head in all the kinds has a high and broad 
 forehead, but in some a pointed snout, though 
 in others that is flat, like that of a cow or horse, 
 with large nostrils, and several stiff hairs stand- 
 ing out on each side, like whiJcers. The ac- 
 counts add, that the eyes of this creature are 
 veiy large, of a blue colour, but speckled and 
 variegated with light streaks or spots, which 
 shine like tortoise shell. Some say it sheds its 
 skin like a land snake. The wind is so destrua-
 
 live to this creature, that it never is seen on tta 
 surface of the water but in the greatest calm 5 
 and the least gust of wind drives it immediately 
 to the bottom again. It shoots through the water, 
 like an arrow from the bow, seeking con- 
 stantly the coldest places. I have been informed 
 by some^of our seafaring men, that a cable would 
 not be long enough to measure the length of 
 them, when they are observed on the surface 
 of the water in an eves line. They say those 
 round lumps or folds sometimes lie one after 
 another, as far as a man can -see."' 
 
 The report of the Committee of the JLinnseaa 
 Society adds : " \Ve have seen and heard sun- 
 dry other statements, 'of various authority, rela- 
 ting to similar animals, said to have been seen 
 at sea by different persons ; but do not insert 
 them in our report, because we consider the 
 foregoing testimony sufficient to place the exis- 
 tence of the animal beyond a donbt ; and because 
 they do not appear so minute and so well au- 
 thenticated as the preceding documents." 
 
 About four weeks after the depositions, the 
 substance of which has been given above, had 
 been received, a young serpent of a remarkable 
 appearance, vt as brought from Gloucester to Bos- 
 ton, and exhibited as the progeny of the Great 
 Sea Serpent. It had been killed in a meadow 
 situated on the eastern shore of Cape Anne, 
 within 1 50 paces of high water mark, by a 
 man, who with a pitchfork, confined iht animJ 
 1C
 
 I 
 154 
 
 against some looso rocks. He exhibited the 
 must violent rage, biting himself twice, holding 
 en, and shaking (to use the planter's expression) 
 as one dog shakes another in fighting. His 
 tail seemed likewise a weapon of defence ; for 
 he struck the end of it against the handle of the 
 fork several times, His progressive movement 
 was vertical, but slow, and was produced, fir?t 
 by contracting, and then by extending the body, 
 'When contracted, the animal was not more 
 than a foot and a half in length ; and :he pro- 
 tuberances on his back were then, at least three 
 times as large as when he was extended. 
 
 A postscript contains a communication from 
 Long Island, stating that, on the 5th of Octo- 
 ber, 1817, the Sea Serpent had been seen in 
 the Sound. At ihe distance of half a miie 
 from the shore, a long, rough, dark-looking 
 body was observed, making a rapid progress 
 towards New York, against a brisk breeze, 
 and a strong ebb tde. The observers were soon 
 conrinced that it was a living animal. His head 
 did not at first apear more elevated above the 
 water than the ridges or humps on his back ; 
 but when he was afterwards seen, nearly in the 
 middle of the Sound, his body, owing to the 
 increased velocity with which he moved, be- 
 came more depressed, and his head greatly 
 elevated. He was distinctly seen for ten mi- 
 nutes, during which short space, it was estima- 
 ted that his progress was not less than six or
 
 155 
 
 seven miles. His back, forty or fifty v feet of. 
 nhich appeared above the surface of the water, 
 was irregular, uneven, .and deeply indented. 
 The general description of the animal, in this 
 statement, agrees with those already given; 
 but it is said, that the extreme rapidity with which 
 he moved, created a swell not unlike that of a 
 boat towed rapidly at the stern of a vessel.
 
 NATURAL HISTORY OF WORMS. 
 
 THE EARTH WORM. 
 
 THE class of animated creation which comes 
 next to be described, is animals of the worm 
 kind, which being, like serpents, entirely desti- 
 tute of feet, trail themselves along upon the ground, 
 and find themselves a retreat under the earth, in 
 the water, or shut up in the bodies of other living 
 beings. But though they have the same creep- 
 ing motion as serpents, there are other marks 
 which sufficiently distinguish them from each 
 other. The serpent, as has been said, having a 
 back bone, which it is incapable of contracting, 
 bends its body into the form of a bow, and then 
 shoots forward from the tail; but it is very 
 different with the worm, which has a power of 
 shortening or lengthening itself at will. There 
 is a screw shaped muscle, that runs round its
 
 157 
 
 whole body, from the head to the tail, somewhat 
 resembling a wire wound round a walking-cane, 
 which when slipped off, and one end extended 
 and held fast, will bring the other nearer to it; 
 in this manner it moves onward, not without 
 great effort, but the occasions for progressive 
 motion-are few. 
 
 As the earth worm is designed for living 
 under the earth, and leading a life of obscurity, 
 so it seems admirably adapted to its situation. 
 Its body is armed with small stiff sharp burrs or 
 prickles, which it can erect or lower at plea- 
 sure; under the skin there lies a slimy juice, to 
 be ejected as occasion requires, at certain pores, 
 between the rings of the muscles, to facilitate 
 its passage into the earth ; it has breathing- 
 holes along the back, adjoining each ring ; but 
 it is without bones, without eyes, and properly 
 without feet. It has a mouth, and also an in- 
 testine which runs along to the very point of 
 the tail. This is always filled with a very fine 
 earth, which seems to be the only nourishment 
 these animals are capable of receiving. 
 
 The animal is entirely without brain, but 
 near the head is placed the heart, which is seen 
 to beat with a very distinct motion. 
 
 When the eggs are laid in the earth, which, 
 in about fourteen days, are hatched into matu- 
 rity, the young ones come forth very small, but 
 perfectly formed, and suffer no change during 
 their existence : how long their life continues is
 
 168 
 
 not well known, but it certainly holds for more 
 than two or three seasons. During the winter, 
 they bury themselves deeper in the earth, to 
 secure themselves from being frozen, and in 
 spring, on moist or .dewy evenings, revive with 
 the rest of nature, and come forth from their 
 retreats, for the universal purpose of continuing 
 their kind. They chiefly live in a light lich 
 and fertile soil, moistened by dews or acci- 
 dental showers, but avoid those places where 
 the water is apt to lie on the surface of the 
 earth, ot where the clay is too stiff for their 
 easy progression under ground. 
 
 Helpless as they seem to be formed, yet they 
 are very vigilant in avoiding those animals that 
 chiefly make them their prey ; in particular the 
 mole, who feeds entirely upon them beneath the 
 surface, and who seldom ventures, from the dim- 
 ness of its sight, into the open air ; him they 
 avoid, by darting up from the earth, the in- 
 stant they feel the ground move ; and fishermen, 
 who are well acquainted with this, take them in 
 what numbers they choose, by stirring the earth 
 where they expect to tind them. They are also 
 driven from their retreats under ground, by 
 pouring on them bitter or sour water, such as 
 that water in which green walnuts have been 
 steeped. 
 
 To the incurious, earth worms seem to belong 
 to a most insignificant tribe; and yet they have 
 8L weighty influence in the economy of nature ;
 
 U9 
 
 for to *ay nothing of half the birds and some * 
 quadrupeds that are supported by them, worms 
 seem to be the great promoters of vegetation. 
 This they do by boring, perforating, and loosen- 
 ing the soil, and rendering it open to receive 
 rains and the fibres of plants, by drawing straws 
 and stalks of leaves and twigs into it ; and most 
 of all, by throwing up such infinite numbers of 
 lumps, called worm-casts, which form a fine 
 manure for grass and corn. 
 
 Gardeners and farmers express their detesta- 
 tion of worms ; the former, because they render 
 their walks unsightly, and make them much 
 work ; arid the latter, because they think worms 
 eat their green corn. But these men would find 
 that the earth without worms would soon become 
 cold, hard-bound, and void of fermentation ; and 
 consequently sterile. And besides, in- favour of 
 worms, it should be observed, that green corn, 
 plants, and flowers, are not so much injured by 
 them, as by many species of insects in their 
 larva state : and by unnoticed myriads of those 
 small shell-less snails, called slugs, which silent- 
 ly and imperceptibly make amazing havock in 
 the field and garden. 
 
 Lands that are subject to frequent inunda- 
 tions are always poor: one great reason of this 
 may probably be, because all the worm* are 
 drowned. 
 
 Dew- worms make their casts principally in 
 die months of March or April, in mild weather.
 
 160 
 
 In rainy nights they travel about, as appears 
 from their sinuous tracks on a soft, muddy soil, 
 perhaps in search of food. When they appear 
 at night on the turf, although they considerably 
 extend their bodies, they do not quite leave their 
 holes, but keep their tails firmly fixed, so that, 
 on the least alarm, they can precipitately retire 
 under the earth. Whatever food falls within 
 their reach, when thus extended, they seem con- 
 tent with it, such as blades of grass, or fallen 
 leaves, . 
 
 THE ASCARIS. 
 
 THE former species of worm found its retreat 
 under ground, the one we are about to describe 
 is produced and lives in the intestines of very 
 thin persons: there they are most abundant, 
 but sometimes they ascend into the stomach, and 
 even creep out at the mouth and nostrils. 
 When very numerous, they give rise to un- 
 pleasant, and sometimes even to fatal dis- 
 orders. 
 
 They are supposed to 6x themselves by three 
 little knobs on the extremity of their body, 
 whilst they suck the nutritive juices, on which they 
 are supported, through a small triangular aper- 
 ture, which is situated in the centre, betwixt 
 knobs. Their interior organization ap-
 
 161 
 
 pears to consist only of a simple intestine, com* 
 posed of a fine and very delicate membrane, 
 which is always filled with an orange-coloured 
 liquor. 
 
 The motion of these worms is serpentine, in 
 no respect resembling that of the earth-worm, 
 with which they have sometimes been ignorantly 
 confounded. The latter has the power of con- 
 tracting and extending its body, whilst the 
 length of the Ascaris is never diminished. The 
 head is always thrown forward, by the worm 
 curling itself into circles and suddenly extend- 
 ing it wkh considerable force. 
 
 These worms bring forth their young from 
 eggs. 
 
 The Vermicular Ascaris is very common in 
 the intestines of children. The number in 
 which this animal is produced exceeds all 
 bounds, and they cause a most unpleasant sen- 
 sation of itching, by piercing the gkin in a slight 
 degree, with their awl-shaped tails. Even 
 newly born children are not always free from 
 them. 
 
 They bring forth their young alive. The fe- 
 male has, at the distance of about an eighth of an 
 inch from the head, a small aperture, through 
 which the offspring are protruded. Dr.Hooper,in 
 the Memoirs of the Medical Society of London, 
 informs us, that he has seen upwards of a 
 hundred young ones escape through this aper.
 
 162 
 
 ture, all. alive, and active several hours after 
 the death of the mother. 
 
 The present species are sometimes known by 
 the appellation ot the maw or thread-worms. 
 
 THE FLUKE- WORM OF THE SHEEP. 
 
 THE livers of sheep which have fed in wet 
 and marshy grounds, generally abound with 
 these worms. They are also occasionally found 
 in the stomach and intestines; and, as it has been 
 stated, are sometimes vomited up in brooks 
 where the animals drink. Whilst they are in 
 small numbers, the animal feels, or at least ap- 
 pears to feel, no inconvenience from them ; but 
 when they fill the biliary ducts, as they often- 
 times do, the parts become swollen, and they 
 become the source of fatal maladies. The dis- 
 ease called the rot, is supposed to be occasioned 
 by them. 
 
 These worms are occasionally found in the 
 livers of other quadrupeds besides sheep.
 
 163 
 
 THE T^ENI-fli OR TAPE WORMS. 
 
 are worms that inhabit the bodies of 
 different animals, where they are destined to 
 feed upon juices already animalized. They are 
 generally found in the alimentary canal, and 
 usually about the upper part of it, where there 
 is the greatest abundance ofchyle, which seems 
 to be their natural food. 
 
 We are not to suppose that these worms are 
 created lor the purpose of producing disease in 
 the aninrels they inhabit, but rather, that nature 
 has directed, that no situation should be vacant, 
 where the work of multiplying the species o4 
 living beings could be carried on. By thus 
 allowing them to exist within each other, the 
 sphere of increase is considerably enlarged. 
 There is, however, little doubt, that worms, and 
 more especially those of the present tribe, do 
 sometimts produce diseases in the bodies they 
 inhabit: but we are, at the same time, very cer- 
 tain, that worms do exist abundantly in many 
 animals, without at all disturbing their func- 
 tions, or annoying them in the slightest degree : 
 and we ought to consider all these creatures 
 rather as the concomitants than the causes of 
 disease. 
 
 The species of Taeniae are not confined singly
 
 164 
 
 to particular animals : men are subject to sc* 
 veral different species, and even the people of 
 particular countries and climates are subject to 
 particular species of them. The people of Eng- 
 land have the Tcenia Solium, or common tape- 
 worm, and rarely any other : the inhabitants of 
 Switzerland the Tania lata, &c. 
 
 The mode of increase or propagation of 
 Tasniae, appears ta be principally by eggs; and 
 there is reason to believe that these eggs, as well 
 as those of other intestinal worms, are so con- 
 structed, as not to be easily destroyed. From 
 this circumstance, we may suppose them to pass 
 along the circulating vessels of. other animals. 
 "We cannot easily explain the phenomena of 
 worms being found in the eggs of fowls, and in 
 the intestines of a foetus before birth, except by 
 supposing their eggs to have passed through the 
 circulating vessels of the moiher, and to have 
 fceen, by this means, conveyed to the offspring. 
 
 THE COMMON TAPE- WORM. 
 
 THE head of this animal js furnished with a 
 rnouth, and with an apparatus for giving it a 
 fixed situation. The body is composed of a great 
 number of distinct pieces jointed together, each
 
 165 
 
 joint having an organ, by means of which it 
 attaches itself to the inner coat of the intestine ; 
 and as these joints are sometimes exceedingly nu- 
 merous, so, of course, will be the different points 
 by which the animal fastens itself to any spot. 
 The joints nearest the head are always small, 
 and they become gradually enlarged as they 
 are further removed from it, except towards the 
 tail, where a few of the last joints become again 
 diminished. The body is terminated by a small 
 semi-circular joint, which has no opening. 
 
 The food of the Tasnias, requiring probably 
 very little change before it becomes a part of 
 their body, is taken in at the mouth, and, being 
 thrown into the alimentary canal, is made to 
 visit, in a general way, every part. The cen- 
 tral structure of the vessels placed in each joint, 
 seems calculated to absorb the fluid from the 
 alimentary canal, for the purpose of sustaining 
 and repairing the immediately adjacent parts : 
 but there is in their bodies much cellular sub- 
 stance, into which no vessels enter. Such parts 
 of the bodies of these animaJs, are possibly 
 nourished by transudation of the alimentary fluid 
 into their cells ; or this may be affected by the 
 capillary attraction of their fibres. 
 
 The length of the present Teenia is generally 
 from three to thirty feet; but it has been known 
 to reach sixty feet, and to be composed of several 
 hundred joints.
 
 When these worms produce a diseased state 
 ot body, those remedies are supposed to be the 
 most effectual, that operate partly by irritating 
 the external suri'ace of their bodies, so as 10 
 make them quit their hold, and partly by violent 
 contractions in the intesiiues, which may some- 
 times divide their bodies, or even destroy them 
 by bruising. Electrical shocks, passed frequent- 
 ly through the abdomen, it is supposed, might 
 be beneficial, as the lower orders of animals are 
 in general easily destroyed by electrical shocks. 
 
 In injecting these Taeniee with coloured size, 
 in order to preserve them, three feet in length, 
 from the head downwards, has been tilled by a 
 single push with a small syringe ; but the in- 
 jection would not pass from below upwards be- 
 yond the joint, owing, as it is supposed, to a 
 valvular apparatus, situated in the side canals, 
 immediately below the places where the cross 
 canals are sent off. 
 
 THE INDIAN THREAD-WORM. 
 
 THIS species is commonly found both in the 
 East and West Indies. It enters the naked 
 feet of the slaves, and occasions very trouble- 
 some itchings, and sometimes excites even fever 
 and inflammation. It particularly attacks the 
 muscles of the arms and legs, from whence it is
 
 167 
 
 only to be extracted by means of a piece of silk 
 or thread tied round its head. But ihe greatest 
 caution is necessary in this simple operation, 
 least the animal, by being strained too much, 
 should break ; for, if any part remain under the 
 skin, it grows with redoubled vigour, and be- 
 comes a cruel and sometimes a fatal enemy. 
 
 Dampier tells us, that these worms are no 
 thicker than a large brown thread, but, as he 
 had been informed, are five or six yards long. 
 fc4 If they are broken in drawing out, that part 
 which remains in the flesh will putrify, be very 
 painful, and endanger the patient's life, or at 
 least the use,, of the limb ; and I have known 
 some that have been scarified and cut strangely 
 to take out the worm. 1 " He was unfortunate 
 enough to have one of these creatures in his 
 own ankle. " I was (he says) in great tor- 
 ment before it came out : my leg and ankle 
 swelled, and looked very red and angry, and I 
 kept a plaister to bring it to a head. At last, 
 drawing off my plaister, out came about three 
 inches ol the worm, and my pain abated pre- 
 sently. Till that time, I was ignorant of my 
 malady, and the gentlewoman at whose house I 
 was, look it for a nerve ; but I knew well 
 enough what it was, and presently rolled it up 
 on a small stick. After that 1 opened the place 
 every morning and evening, and strained it out 
 gently, about two inches at a time, not without 
 buuie pain, till at length I had got out about
 
 168 
 
 two feet." He afterwards had it entirely de- 
 stroyed by one of the negroes, who applied to it 
 a kind of rough powder, not unlike tobacco- 
 leaves dried and crumbled very small. 
 
 M. D'Obsonville received in his right leg the 
 germ of one of these worms. He observed that 
 its head was of a chesnut colour, and that, to the 
 naked eye, it appeared to terminate in a small 
 black point. On pressing it a little with a pin, 
 and examining it with a common magnifying 
 glass, he fancied he perceived something like a 
 little trund or tongue, capable of being pushed 
 out or contracted. The body was not thicker 
 than a strong thread ; but, when the animal was 
 extracted, it was found to be of the length of 
 two or three yards. It appeared to be formed 
 of a series of small rings, united to each other 
 by an exceedingly fine membrane, and a single 
 intestine extended through the body. This 
 worm was extracted in the usual way ; and the 
 reason he gives for the injury done by 
 breaking these animals is, that they are full 
 of a whitish sour lymph, which immediate- 
 ly excites inSammation, and not unfrequently 
 produces, afterwards, an abscess or gangrene. A 
 worm in his leg was twice broken, and twice 
 occasioned an abscess. At last, at his own re- 
 quest, the part affected was rubbed with a pre- 
 paration of mercury : and in eight or ten days 
 the effect surpassed his hopes; for not only the 
 body of the insect came away, but the wound,
 
 169 
 
 which was then more than three indues long, 
 and considerably inflamed, was, in this time, 
 almost entirely healed. 
 
 THE INFERNAL FURY. 
 
 IN Finland, Bothnia, and the northern pro- 
 vinces of Sweden, the people were often seized 
 with an acute pain, confined to a mere point, 
 in the face, or other exposed part of the body, 
 which afterwards encreased to a most excruci- 
 ating degree, and sometimes, even within a few 
 hours after its commencement, proved fatal. 
 This disorder was more particularly observed 
 in Finland, especially about marshy places, and 
 always in autumn. At length, it was discover- 
 ed, that the pain instantly succeeded something 
 which dropped out of the air, and almost in a 
 moment penetrated and buried itself in the flesh. 
 On more accurate attention, the Fury was de- 
 tected as the cause. It creeps up the stalks of 
 sedge-grass and shrubs in- the marshes, whence 
 it is often carried off by the wind ; and if naked 
 parts of the skin of any persons happen to be 
 directly in its course, it immediately adheres 
 and buries itself within. The first sensation 
 is said to be like that arising from the prick of a 
 needle. This is succeeded by a violent itching 
 of the part : soon afterwards by acute pain, a
 
 170 
 
 red spot, and gangrene, and at last by inflamma- 
 tory fever, accompanied with faimings. In the 
 course of two days at the furthest, death follows, 
 unless the worm be extracted immediately ; 
 which is very difficult to be done. The Fin- 
 landers say, however, that a poultice of curds or 
 cheese, will allay the pain, aifd entice the animal 
 out. Perhaps the most effectual method is, 
 carefully to dissect between the muscles where 
 it has entered, and thus extract it with the knife. 
 
 Linnaeus, as he once was collecting insects, 
 was stung by a Fury in so dreadful a manner, 
 that for a little while there was great doubt 
 whether he would recover, 
 
 THE COMMON HAIR-WORM. 
 
 THE popular name of this worm originated in 
 the notion, that it was produced from the hair 
 of horses and other animals ; a notion that is 
 even yet prevalent among the lower classes of 
 the people. Its Linnsan name of Gordius, origi- 
 nated in the habit that it has of twisting itself 
 in such a peculiar manner, as to resemble a 
 complicated gordian knot. In this state, it often 
 continues for a considerable time, and then 
 slowly disengaging itself, extends its bjdy to 
 the full-length.
 
 171 
 
 It is common in our fresh waters, and parti] 
 cularly in such where the bottom is composed 
 of soft clay, through which it passes with the 
 greatest facility. 
 
 Sometimes it moves in the water with a toler- 
 ably quick undulating motion, like that of a 
 leech ; and at other times, its motions are the 
 most slow and languid imaginable. When the 
 water in which it swims, happens to be dried up, 
 it soon loses every appearance of life ; the slen- 
 der body shrivels, and it may be kept-in this state 
 for a great length of time. But whenever it is put 
 into the water, its body soon re-assumes its for- 
 mer appearance ; in less than half an hour it be- 
 gins to move, and, in a few minutes more, it is as 
 brisk and active as ever. The Abbe" Fontana kept 
 a Hair-worm in a drawer for three years, at the 
 expiration of which time, it was perfectly dry 
 and hard, and exhibited no signs of life; but, 
 on putting it into water, it soon recovered its 
 former vig6ur. When kept in a vessel of water, 
 it will sometimes appear moiionless, and as if 
 dead, for several hours, and afterward will re- 
 same its former vigour, and seem as healthy as 
 before. 
 
 It is stated, that the bite of this worm has 
 been known to produce the complaint called a 
 whitlow. This is mentioned by Linnseus as a 
 popular opinion in Sweden, and, since this 
 time, the fact has been confirmed by various 
 other persons.
 
 172 
 
 The Hair-worm is sometimes found in the 
 earth as well as in water ; and particularly in 
 gardens of a clayey soil, after rain. 
 
 THE SEA LONG-WORM. 
 
 SUCH is the length of this very extraordi- 
 nary worm, that it is almost impossible to fix 
 any bounds tq it. The fishermen of the Devon- 
 shire coast in England will say> that they are 
 many fathoms long. Some of the most intelli- 
 gent, however, assert, that they are up- 
 wards of thirty yards in length ; but Colonel 
 Montague is of opinion, that as many feet 
 must be the utmost. None of the specimens 
 which he saw appeared to exceed twenty feet. 
 
 The largest of these worms are taken by 
 dredging. They are also sometimes found under 
 the stones at low water, but always coiled up or 
 twisted in a most complicated manner. 
 
 The expansion and contraction of the Long- 
 worms are very surprising. One which was 
 supposed to be nearly eight feet in length, on 
 being put alive into spirits, instantly contracted 
 to about twelve inches, at the same time in- 
 creasing to double its preceding bulk. It is 
 very difficult to preserve them perfect without con- 
 traction. If suffered to die in their natural
 
 173 
 
 element, one part will decay and become putrid 
 whilst the other remains entire and capable of 
 motion ; and the addition of any thing offensive 
 instantly produces contraction. 
 
 They are found on the coasts of Devon and 
 Cornwall ; and are also frequently dredged up 
 by the fishermen in the Frith of Forth, Scot- 
 land, We believe they are not found in Ire- 
 land.
 
 NATURAL HISTORY. 
 
 IT is very proabable that the animals we se?~ 
 and are acquainted with, bear no manner ot 
 proportion to those that are concealed froM u*. 
 Although every leaf and vegetable swarms with 
 animals upon land, yet at sea, they are still more 
 abundant; for the greatest part of what would 
 seem vegetables growing there are ii: fact no- 
 thing but the artificial formation of small animals 
 which they have built for their own habitation. 
 
 If we examine the bottom of the sea alon^ 
 some shores, and particularly at the mouths of 
 several rivers, we shall find it has the appear- 
 ance of a forest of trees under water, mi!- 
 lions of plants growing in various directions. 
 with their branches entangled in each other, and 
 sometimes standing so thick as to obstruct navi- 
 gation. The shores of the Persian gulph, the 
 whole extent of the Red-sea, and the western 
 coasts of America, are so choked up in many
 
 175 
 
 places \vith these Coral ine substances, that 
 Hough ships force a passage through them, boats 
 ami swimmers find it impossible to make their 
 way. These are formed of different substances, 
 and assume various appearances. The coral- 
 plants, as they are called, sometimes shoot out 
 I ke trees, which in winter are without leaves : 
 they often spread out a broad surface like a fan, 
 and not uncommonly a large bundling head, like 
 a fasrgot ; sometimes they are found to resemble 
 a plant with leaves and flowers ; and often the 
 antlers of a stag, with great exactness and re- 
 gularity. In other parts of the sea are seen 
 sponges of various magnitude, and extraordin- 
 ary appearances, assuming a variety of fantas- 
 tic forms like large mushrooms, mitres, fonts 
 and flower-pots. To an attentive spectator, 
 these various productions seem to have their leaves 
 and their flowers, and have been experimen- 
 tally known to shoot out branches in the compass 
 of a year. This opinion, however, some time 
 after, began to be shaken, by others, who by 
 a more sagacious and diligent enquiry into na- 
 ture, put it past doubt, that corals and sponges 
 were entirely the work of animals, and that 
 like the honey-comb, which was formed by the 
 bee, the coral was the work of an infinite num- 
 ber of reptiles, whose united labours were thus 
 capable of filling whole tracts of the ocean with 
 those embaras?ing tokens of their industry.
 
 176 
 
 Few persons are unacquainted with this pro- 
 duction, at least in a wrought state, as forming 
 necklaces or bracelets for the ornament -of the 
 female figure. It is, perhaps the most valuable 
 of all the productions of the sea, except pearls ; 
 and constitutes a very important article of com 
 merce. 
 
 If in our researches after the nature of these 
 plants, we should be induced to break off a 
 branch of the coraline substance, and observe 
 it carfully, we shall perceive its whole surface, 
 which is rugged and irregular, covered with a 
 mucous fluid, and almost m every part studded 
 with little jelly-like drops, which when closely 
 examined, will be found to be no other than 
 reptiles of the polypus kind. These have their 
 arms, their appetites, and the means of pro- 
 ducing from their own bodies their durable 
 habitation, but they soon expire when taken out 
 of the sea. 
 
 The fishing for Coral is at this day, an ob- 
 ject of great importance to the inhabitants of 
 Marseilles, Catalonia, and Corsica; and the 
 principal parts of the Mediterranean from which 
 it is obtained, are the coasts of Tunis and Sar- 
 dinia, and the mouth of the Adriatic. The 
 fishers employ, for this purpos'e', a very simple 
 kind of machine, consisting of two strong bars 
 of iron or wood tied across each other. From 
 the centre of th union of these they hang a 
 weight. Each of the arms is loosely surround-
 
 177 
 
 ed, through its whole length, with twisted hemp ; 
 and at the extremity there is a small open purse 
 or net. To use this machine, it is suspended by 
 a rope, and dragged along those rocks where 
 the Coral is most abundant. A considerable 
 part of the Coral which is broken off, either 
 becomes entangled in the hemp, or falls into the 
 nets. This operation is usually carried on in 
 places where the water is from eight to ten 
 i'at horns in depth. 
 
 The most valuable Coral, however, as being 
 the largest in size, and most compact in sub- 
 stance, is that which is brought from the East. 
 
 The common Sponge is well known, from the 
 circumstance of its utility for various domestic 
 purposes. It is an elastic substance, and in 
 every part, it is full of holes. It grows into ir- 
 regular shapes of a woolly consistence, and is 
 generally fastened by a broad base, to the rocks. 
 A variety of small marine animals pierce and 
 gnaw it into its irregular, winding cavities. 
 These appear on the outside, by large holes, 
 raised higher than the rest. When it is cut 
 perpendicularly, the interior parts are seen to 
 consist of small tubes, which divide into branches 
 as they appear on the surface. 
 
 Sponge is an object of commerce in the Medi- 
 terranean, and in several of the islands of the 
 Grecian Archipelago, on the submarin crocks in 
 the neighbourhood of which it is found, of large 
 size and in great abundance. As it is chiefly
 
 178 
 
 on rocks, at the depth of five or six fathoms, it 
 has been the cause of many of the inhabitants of 
 these islands having become excellent divers. 
 Yet this fatiguing and dangerous employment 
 does not at all enrich them; for Olivier reports, 
 that they are in a state of the most lamentable 
 poverty and wretchedness. 
 
 When first taken out of the sea, Sponges have 
 a strong fishy smell, which the fishermen get rid 
 of by washing them perfectly clean in running 
 water. This is all the preparation ne*ecessary to 
 their being packed together for sale ; but 
 without it, they would soon become putrid, and 
 perish . 
 
 The reproduction of Sponge is more rapid than 
 would, perhaps, be imagined : it is to be found, 
 in perfection, in places, from which, only two 
 years before, it has been entirely cleared. 
 
 Were ev'ry falt'ring tongue of man, 
 
 Almighty Father ! silent in thy praise, 
 
 Thy -works themselves would raise a general voice; 
 
 And in ihe depth of solitary woods, 
 
 By human foot untrod, proclaim thy power* 
 
 FINIS.
 
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