ENEMIES OP SERPENTS. 89 



branes, especially in those investing the heart and lung8. 

 The intestinal worms observed by M. Rudolphi,* in dif- 

 ferent species of Ophidians, belong to the following genera : 

 — Ascaris, Distoma, Filaria, Echinorhynchiis, Taenia, 

 Strongylus, Trichosoma, Pentastoma, and Cucullanus. 



The Parasites which are exteriorly attached to the skins 

 of serpents, and suck their juices, are much less numerous 

 than those we have just mentioned. Only a single genus 

 is found, the Ixodes, and especially that with a gilded 

 thorax, which I have also observed on the Monitor Lizard, 

 on the Hog, the Pangolin, and some other East Indian 

 animals. M. MuLLERf has described this insect. MetaxaJ 

 has observed on several Ophidians of Italy, parasites which 

 he has recognised as forming two species of Acarus. 

 Daudin§ speaks of others found on the Boa Cenchria. I 

 have detached some of them from Pythons, from the Dipsas 

 dendrophila, and several other Javanese serpents. 



Serpents are useful by the destruction of hurtful ani- 

 mals, such as the small Gnaiuers, worms, insects, mollusca, 

 &c. which they pursue. Formerly snakes were emploj'ed 

 in medicine, and this practice is still retained by many 

 people, although it has been rejected by the more refined 

 nations. Very recently Dr Marikrosky,|1 of Rosenau in 

 Hungary is said to have employed with success the bile of 

 serpents in cases of epilepsy. 



[Snakes are still much employed in the pharmacy of 

 Spain and Southern Italy. The translator found lining 

 snakes in the apothecaries shops in the former country as 

 regularly as sarsaparilla with us.] 



The prejudice against serpents in many countries is 

 greatly superior to their utility. The venomous species 

 multiply so in certain intertropical countries, and particu- 

 larly in the Island of Martinique, that they are a real 

 plague, and annually cause the death of a great number 

 of men and domestic animals. The Aquatic snakes often 

 do much damage in lakes and rivers abounding with fish ; 



* Entozoorum Synopsis, p. 762. 



t Ixodes Ophiophilus, AataNov. xvi., part ii., p. 232. (Pi. Ixvi.) 

 X Monograph, § 7 and 9. § Rept. vol. v., j). 202. 



Ii Hufeland's Journal, BiimeQ 1831, cah. 10. 



H 



