58 ANATURALHISTORY 



The Poet laments the Death of the bran^e and noble I'ullus *, 

 by this bloody Serpent; which is alfo found in India (according 

 to Diodorus Sicuhis) in that part where Alexander the Great con- 

 quer'd Poms the Great King of the Indies. The Conqueror 

 bid Poms aik of him whatever he defiredj who anfwered, That 

 he only defired to be treated as a Prince : with which Alexander 

 wai fo charm'd, that he not only gave him his Kingdom again, 

 but fome of the Provinces he had conquered in that Vicinity. 

 N. B. On the Bank of the River Hydafpis, Alexander built a 

 Town, which he call'd Bucephala^ in remembrance of Biice- 

 phalus his great Horfe, which died and was buried there. 



v. T H E Serpent Seps^ which by fome is faid to be the fame 

 with Sepedony is about two Cubits long, the Head broad, and of 

 divers Colours. Both thefe are of the fmaller Species, but moft 

 venemous, and therefore are rank'd in the fecond Clals of Ser- 

 pents. The Virulency of the Poifon is not in proportion to their 

 diminutive Stature. 



When any are wounded by thefe venemous Animals, the 

 Hair of the Head immediately falls off, the whole Body turns 

 fcurfy, leprous and putrid; yea, the very Bones, as well as the 

 Flelh, putrify and corrupt; therefore fome call it i\iQ putrid Ser- 

 pent -f. The Poet accounts for the Symptoms of its Poifon X' 



These Serpents are Afiaticks^ Inhabitants of the Rocks in 

 Syria 'y Syria^ the fuppofed weftern Porch of Paradife. Thefe 

 refemble the Hemorrhoiis in Colour and external Figure : Accord- 

 ing to ALU an ^ they change into the Similitude of the Things they 

 light upon. He might, I think, as well have faid, they chang'd 

 their Notes on different Trees, fince there is a kind of relation 

 between Mufick and Colour^ as the Learned Newton obferves. 



VI. KOKO B Serpent, is between three and four Foot long, 

 of a dufky Colour, and made beautiful by Spots of red and light 

 Blue. Its Wounds are terrible, and the Effects not very diffmii- 

 lar to thofe of the Hemorrhous. Nierembergius obferves, that it 



refides , 



* Lucan^ lib. ix. p. 269. Imprefjit denies llemorrhoh afpera Tullo magnan'imo "Ju- 

 ven'i. 



•f Nonnulli ex Scaligero^ nonmale putriatnvocare. "Jonjlonus^ p. 14. 



\ Mora eji ante oculos Sepsjietit exiguus — Parva modo Serpens^ fed qua nonnulla 

 cruenta Fugit rupta cutis. Lucan Pharlal. lib. ix. p. 271. 



