THE TAIL OF A SNAKE. 171 



position of clanger, many snakes trust greatly to the pressure 

 of their tails, whether pointed or not, as a balance or even a 

 support. This pressure, which is forcible, but not aggres- 

 sive, no doubt gave rise in the first instance to the behef 

 that the snake was intentionally endeavouring to inflict a 

 wound — a myth which, like all the other ophidian myths, is 

 so hard to eradicate. 



Sir Thomas Browne, in his Pseudoxia, more than two 

 hundred years ago, mentioned this as one of the 'Vulgar 

 Errours.' As very little was known of foreign snakes at 

 that time, 1672, excepting through classic writers, one must 

 suppose that our poor little native Anguis fragilis \\7k?> in- 

 cluded among the weapon-tailed snakes, ' that worm with 

 venomed tongue ' which does really in a remarkable manner 

 make important though innocent use of its very blunt tail as 

 a means of progression. He says, * That Snakes and Vipers 

 do sting, or transmit their Mischief by the Tail, is a common 

 Expression, not easy to be Justified. . . . The Poison lying 

 about their Teeth and communicated by Bite in such as are 

 destructive. And Bitings mentioned in Scripture are dift"er- 

 entially set down from such as Mischief by Stings.' ^ ' God 

 commanded Moses to take up the Serpent by the Tail,' Sir 

 Thomas Browne reminds us, as if in proof that the caudal 

 extremity was perfectly harmless. ' Nor are all Snakes of 

 such empoisoning Qualities as common Opinion presumeth,' 

 the author endeavours to impress upon his readers, because 

 there are several histories of domestic snakes from ' Ophio- 

 phagous Nations and such as feed on Serpents.' Then follows 

 an opinion equally wise and witty. ' Surely the destructive 



^ Fsatdoxia ; or. Vulgar Errotns, Rook iii. p. 207. By Sir Thomas Browne. 



