So A NATURAL HISTORY 



A Creature of a ?Jiore exaked khid 



Was wanting yet j and then was Man defigrid^ 



Conjcioiis of T'hought, of more capacious Breaft.-—^ 



2. And partly as an Enfign of Royalty, fome Charaders where- 

 of Naiuralifts have obferved in fome other petty Principalities; 

 fuch as the Crown on the Dolphin, Diadem on the Bafilifk, the 

 Lion's flately Mane, which ferves as a Collar of Honour. 



But Man, being vefted with an univerfal Monarch, walks 

 upon the Earth, like a Mafter in his own Houfe. 



XIII. The Cctcilia or TypJjH?ius^ the blind Worm, as the 

 Greek word imports; not that it wants Eyes, butbecaufe they are 

 fo little, that he mud be furnifli'd with good Optics that can dif- 

 cern them : And the Ear alfo is as remarkably dull, therefore call'd 

 by the Greeks >tw^ia?*; of a brown Colour, full of Spots, varie- 

 gated : The Belly is blackifh, the Neck fky-colour'd, garnilh'd 

 with certain black Spots ; Head like a Lamprey, and is as free 

 from Poifon : Little Teeth, a. forked Tongue, and may be handled 

 without hurt -f-. 



This Serpent feems to refemble thofe People which we call 

 My ops ^ i. e. Moufe-eyed, or purblind, which happens when the 

 Eye is fo convex^ that the Rays of Light unite, before they come 

 to the Retina^ which makes the Eye alfo look fmall, whence the 

 Name;};. 



The Ccecilian Serpent is about a Foot long, and diftinguifliahle 

 from our common Serpents by the Form of its Body, which is al- 

 mofl of the fame CralTitude, excepting two or three Inches at the 

 extremity of the Tail. Coiiradus G^;/fr tells us, his Wife flruck 

 one of thefe Serpents on the Head, when 'twas pregnant, and it 

 immediately caft forth its young |). 



XIV. The Generis^ or Cencrina is a fpotted Serpent, and very 

 •venemous; denominated ixom Milium, a fmall Grain call'd Mil- 

 let-feed ; to which Hillorians compare the Spots wherewith this 



Serpent 



* ^tmf furdafler, cj-ndk^b'^ti'; [\t: audit!/!. 



t Nicander calls it uTt>inxFToy, quod nullam noxam infcrar. Jovjionus^ p. 19. 



X From Tr^PAiM excneco, xw^ow, exfurdo, 



I] Gfjuer, p. 36. /EUa7i, 



