86 



large pvo{)oytions. One is 200 feet long, and lives in 

 rocks and desolate mountains near the sea abont Bergen, 

 which in summer nights ranges about in quest of 

 plunder, devouring lambs, calves, swine, and other 

 animals that fall in its way. In a calm sea it 

 ransacks the superficies of the water (being thus clearly 

 of the amphibious division) and devours the polypus 

 and all sorts of sea-crabs. . . . 



" , . . Upon the approach of a shit>, this serpent 

 lifts up its head above the water and snatches at the 

 mariners, and rolls itself about the ship, the more 

 effectually to secure its prey. 



*' The Henwrrhus is little in body, but terrible in 

 its executions, for when it wounds any person the blood 

 in his body flows out at all the apertures of it, which is 

 immediately followed by convulsions and death. 



The Attaligatus is a small, slender serpent, not 

 exceeding in size the quill of a goose ; not poisonous in 

 nature, but very mischievous, for these little creatures 

 are one united body, and live in community and never 

 separate. They are a society without schism, which is 

 more than can be said of all human societies, civil or 

 ecclesiastic. When these small, harmonious reptiles go 

 abroad, they travel in company 100 strong or more, 

 and when they find any asleep they immediately seize 

 the body, and with a force united and irresistible, they 

 devour it.'^ 



Possibly the '' small slender serpents " referred 

 to above were leeches. Owen also makes mention 

 of other snakes ; *' the Acontia, which springs upon 

 its prey from beneath bushes, after turning itself 

 rapidly round and round on the ground in order to 

 obtain the rotary motion for his flight, that alone 

 insures accuracy of aim. It brings down men at 

 twenty cubits distance " — a certainly novel and 

 somewhat ingenious way of " striking." On the 

 other hand, '' the Paubera secures prey by means 

 of a hook fastened to the end of its tail, and 



