THE TAIL OF A SNAKE, „ 191 



Sir Thomas Browne includes this among his 'Vulgar 

 Errours,' and traces it to Nicander, Galen, and other classic 

 writers, but to ' ^lian most confidently.' He discusses the 

 creature with dispassionate intelligence, and shows us that 

 * poets have been more reasonable than philosophers ' about 

 it.^ 'Again, if such a thing there were, it were not to be 

 obtruded by the name of Ainphisbcena, or as an animal of 

 one denomination, with a duplicity of hearts and heads,' he 

 argues, giving honour to the head, and therefore that the 

 creature must be dual. 



There are frequently some of the smooth, ruler-like snakes 

 in our London Reptilium ; their very small eyes and mouth, 

 and blunt, shapeless head, render it difficult to decide at the 

 moment between head and tail. Any with sheep's heads we 

 are not likely to see, and those that have had the malforma- 

 tion of two reptilian heads generally present something of 

 two necks as well. The writers, however, whom we have 

 quoted were not thinking of monstrosities, but had pro- 

 found faith in a veritable Aviphisbcena Eiiropcea, which an 

 artist with an unscientific imagination has handed down to 

 posterity ! 



1 Pseitdoxia, Book iii. chap, xx. p. 155. 



