86 A NATURAL HISTORY 



felves in the Sun, near their Apartments: The Sight of a Perfon, 

 puts them to flight ; and upon a ciofe Purfuit of them, they make 

 a Stand, raife up their Heads to a confiderable height, and oppofc 

 the Enemy with a loud and angry Hifs. No Danger is appre- 

 hended from their Bite, and they are handled with Impunity. 



This Species of Serpents refembles xhQ Mfculapiariy that has 

 been fed in fome FamiHes j and when provoked to ufe the Teeth,, 

 the Danger is no more than that from a Bee, whofe Weapons 

 are defenfive, and not employed without Provocation : In Winter 

 they retire into fubterraneous Spaces, v/here they lie dormant, till 

 the vernal Sun invites them out. 



Though they propagate as Vipers, it does not appear that 

 they fit on their Eggs, as moH oviparous Animals do ; for we often 

 find a Brood of young Serpents in old Hedges and Dunghills, and 

 no vifible Sign of a common PafTage to and from the Neft. 



XXI. The Elepbantra Serpmts are thofe whofe Wounds cart: 

 People into a Leprofy or Roughnefs of Skin, like that of an Elc^ 

 phant: Hence Leprofy proceeding from inward Diforders, is call'd 

 ■Elephantia or Elephantiajis^ which is a cutaneous Difeafe, makes 

 the Skin fcurfy and rough, in Colour refenibling that of an Ani- 

 mal, that in Bulk and Intelligence is fuperior to all four-footed 

 Beafts. 



ELEPHANTS in hidia are fiid to be about 12 Foot high, 

 and of a Moufe-colour, the Skin not only rough, but hard, fo hard 

 that it is not penetrable by a Sword ; their Eyes like thofe of Swine 5 

 two Teeth hang out beyond the reft, which are Ivory. 



We have an Account in Hamilton^ Travels, of an Elephant 

 in the Eajl-Indies^ which a Man \Vas conduding one Morning 

 to water, and paffing clofe by a Taylor's Shop, who was work^ 

 ing at an open Window, the Taylor had the Courage to prick 

 him with his Needle : The Beaft did not then feem to refent the 

 Affront, but when he returned from the Water, which he hav- 

 ing artfully muddled, took into his Trunk; as he came back by 

 the Taylor's Window, fpouted it in his Face, which very much 

 difobliged a Piece of Scarlet-cloth on his Table. 



That Elephants are fubjedt to Wrath and Revenge, is evi* 

 dent from other Inftances ; e. g. We read of an Elephant, that 



whce 



