10 A NATURAL HISTORY 



SECTION III. 



SERPENTS are fuppofed to have many Enemies, befides 

 Man, as the Eagky Hawk, Stork^ Ibis, Ichneumon^ Ma- 

 gaiire^ &c. I fliall only touch upon fome of thefe : Ibh is a 

 Bird of Egypt, and a faithful Ally in the War again ft Serpents -,, 

 vaft Numbers of winged Serpents are annually bred in Arabia, 

 fi'om whence, at certain Seafons, Swarms of them take their flight 

 acrofs the Red-Sea into Egypt: Upon the firft notice of their Ar- 

 rival, the Jbidian Birds aflemble in Troops, and immediately fly 

 upon the Invaders, and foon deftroy them. In the fame manner 

 they execute Vengeance upon the Serpents of Ethiopia, when 

 they moleft the Land *. 



The Storh deftroy all Serpents that fall in their way, and 

 are fo greatly regarded in Thejfaly for this kind oflice, that it is 

 counted a capital Crime to kill a Stork, and the Criminal is pu- 

 niihed as in the Cafe of Man-flaughter. 



•f* T H E Stork's Bill is very long and ftiarp, with which it makes 

 a rattling kind of Noife : It is fiid, the Chirurgeons have learn'd 

 the Clyfterick Art from thefe Birds. 



The Storks alfo are efteemed the Clergy's Friends, for the Au-> 

 thor of the Book of Nature fays, they will not inhabit any City 

 in Ge?inariy, where no Tythes are paid to the Prieft. An Ortho- 

 dox Brood of Birds ! 



Wh e n Mofes conduced the Egyptia?i Kv my againft the Ethio^ 



piam, he was to pafs through a Country full of Serpents, and to 



fecure his Forces from them in their March, he carried with him 



feverai of thefe Ihidian Birds, before whofe Fury they fell or 



fied + 



ICHN EXJ MON is a little Animal of bold Spirit, and a 

 great Dtftroyer of Serpents, and therefore iht Egyptians keep it 

 in their Houfes, as we do Cats; and the young ones are com- 

 monly fold for that end at Alexandria. In form it refembles an 

 over-grown Rat, and is called the Indian-Rat, and Pharaoh' s- 

 Rat ; and by its mighty Atchievements, it muft be of fome con- 



fiderable 



* Conradus Gefn. p, ^r. nay-GyUiiis. t TUnisNat. W(l. Tom. i. B. ic 



1 y''>f^P^^"h B. ii. Cap. V. p. 65, 



