26 A NATURAL HISTORY 



XCV. The Horn-Snake, very venemous, hiiTes exadly like a 

 Goofe, upon any body's Approach. Serpents of this Clafs ftrike 

 at the Enemy with their Tail, which is arm'd at the end with a 

 horny Subftance, like a Cock-Spur, that kills whatever is wounded 

 with it. 'Tis faid, that in Virginia^ they only flioot their Tongues, 

 and fhake them at the Enemy *. 



XCVI. The Hydrus, Natrix, or Wafej-- Snake, of thefe are 

 various forts, and all in fome degree amphibious. When the 

 Coluber Aquaticus wounds any, 'tis attended with a moft difagree- 

 able Odour, and fo ftrong, that it forbids a near Approach to 

 the unhappy Sufferer, who immediately falls into a Tremor and 

 Diftradion, and foon expires (the third day, fays^//^;z) without 

 timely Relief -f*. 



Its common Refidence is in fhallow Waters, and when they 

 are dried up ; it goes upon dry Ground, where its Wound is 

 more dangerous than in Water : But more of this elfewhere. 



XCVII. In that Country they have what they call Swamp' 

 Snakes -, three forts of which are near a-kin to the Water-Snakes, 

 and may be rank'd among them. The Belly of the firft is of the 

 carnation Colour, the Back is dark : the next, which is of a brown 

 Colour, always abides in the Marfhes : the third is of a motley 

 Colour, and very poifonous. 



They dwell on the fides of Swamps, /. e. Bogs, Marfhes, 

 and Ponds, have a prodigious large Mouth, and they arrive to 

 the thicknefs of the Calf of a Man's Leg. Among thefe I place 

 the black Truncheofi- Snakes^ that live on the Banks of Rivers, 

 which, when diflurbed, fhoot into the Water, like an Arrow 

 out of a Bow. I fancy the Name is borrow'd from a certain 

 Weapon call'd Truncheon, which we call Battoon, or Tipilaff, 

 of a cylindrical form, ufed by principal Officers of State, Gene- 

 rals, and fometimes by Conllables, when they go upon fecret 

 Expeditions. 



XCVIII. The Red-belly-Snake, this is fo called from its ruddy 

 Colour, which inclines to an Orange-red. Of thefe are two forts; 



onn, 



* Lo'wthor;^, voLiii.p. 599. t ^^ian^ lib.iv. cap. 57. Accefto Cy/Iii.-^ 



