142 A NATURAL HISTORY 



clear is equally the fame to this beautiful Slut *. In its Nature 

 'tis very poifonous, fiys one ; Cardan is in the Negative. The 

 truth is, there are feveral forts of them, fome of which are 

 harmlefs, and others hurtful, and their Wounds attended with 

 very terrible EfFecfls, defcribed by the poetick Phyfician -f*. 



I N fome parts of Ferfia they are very numerous, defcribed by 

 white Heads and black Body, four Cubits long, and dangerous 

 to thofe who\iabble in the Water by Night, as they often do in 

 that hot Country ; where thefe Animals feed upon Filli and Frogs % ; 

 and breed upon Land, according to Arijlotle |[. 



Its common Habitation is m rht My clean Lake, in Corcina 

 or Corcyra^ now Corfou^ (a little rich Illand in the Venetian Do- 

 minion) and alfo about Taracma (a City of the Volfciam in Cam- 

 pania^ in Ital)\ not far from Amyclce) where the People, not 

 daring to kill Serpents, were overthrown by them -, to mention 

 no more. Ibid. 



CXXVII. The Natrix-Torqiiata^ Jonjion makes different from 

 the former, and defcribes it thus Called Torqiiata from its beau- 

 tiful Neck, which looks as if incircled with a flrong Collar of 



Pearls On the hinder part of the Head is a little narrow 



Space in the form of two Scales, where the Spots on both fides 

 end acutely in a triangular form. The Scholiaji upon Nicander^ 

 compliments thofe pretty Spots with the Title of little Crowns **. 



It goes under various Appellations. The Greeks called it 

 Guardian of their Houfes •f'-f-, it being of the innocent fort. Some 

 of the Italia72s call it Carbonarium^ a Collier, becaufe its Colour 

 inclined to Coal-black, or Iron. Mr. Ray calls it, the common 

 Snake. It is larger than a Viper, and more grofs in Body ; brings 

 forth its Young by Eggs, hatch'd by foreign Heatj feeds on 



Mice J 



* 'Tis fometimes called 'Lutra-^ ex Lufo , becaufe it delights moll in foul Wa- 

 ter j or the Word may (ignify, to wafh and make clean. 



-f- Peffima quas fecit plagas haec figna fequantur ; 

 Arida tota cutis circum putret horribilemque 

 Elevat afpedtum, magni ignitique doiores 

 Tandem hominem interimunt. NicafiJer. 



^ Stagna colir, ripifque habitans hie pifcibus atram 

 Improbus Ingluviem ranifque loquacibus explef, 

 Exbaufta palus — Exilic in ficciim— Virg. Georg. lib. iii. 

 il Jonflom Wfi. Nat. p. 28, 25. ** Ui(t. p. 29. 



