VIPERA AQUATICA, 
The Water Viper. 
ea HE back and head of this Serpent 
©) Rares 
OH s 
; is brown: the belly marked tranf- 
e 
ftruGiive weapons as the ma cane which, 
next to it, is reckoned Me largeft of any other 
Viper in thefe parts; and, contrary to moft other 
Sy are very nimble, and particularly dextrous 
tching fifh ummer great numbers o 
lie in this manner to furprife either a or : 
after thefe laft they plunge, and ue them with 
great fwiftnefs, and catch fome of a large fize, 
which they carry on fhore, and {wallow whole. 
One of thefe Serpents I furprifed {wimming afhore 
with a large Cat-Fifh, of a wo kind from 
ie deferibed in Vol. IL P. 23. this having two 
not ete himfelf with all his twifts and diftor- 
tions; and in that condition being in danger of 
rowning, was neceflitated {wim ore, where 
the dtiedele? was flain. This Spent in es 
commonly goes by the name of t Rattle 
Snake; not that it hath a rattle, bg a of 
them are very large, and coloured not much unlike 
the Rattle Snake, and their bite is be as 
mortal. They frequent water, aad are never feen 
at any great diftance from it. 
‘Viper is eat towards the end, and terminates in 
a blunt horny point about half an inch long. hi 
bec Titde thing hath given a dreadful ‘thatedie 
its owner, aie iting to him another inftrumen 
of deiason befides that he had before ; impofing 
a belief on the credulous, that he is the terrible 
horn Snake, armed with death at both ends, though 
jn reality of equal truth with that of the two headed 
Amphifbena yet we are told, that this fatal horn, 
by a jitk of the tail, not only mortally wounds men 
and other animals, but if by chance ftruck into a 
young tree, whofe bark is more eafily 
than in an old one, the tree inftantly withers, turns 
black, and dies, 
—— 
penetrable 
Frutex folis ferratis, floribus longioribus fpicatis fubviridibus, 
HESE fhrubs are flender 
fpreadin 
in the main ftem, 
eee ee to the height 
ves fet es aes having 
e tubu ree finall, 
25 eke a pointel ae e above 
rge of the cup; they are clofely fet ee iZ0 oe on 
of the flender ftalks: thefe flowers are fticceeded 
ripe, open, di cine into 
; The ey grow 
moift places in Caro ike and Virginia. 
Toe a + t.< ~ 
Vipere d’Eau. 
E dos & ta téte de ce Serpent font 
bruns: il a te ventre & les cétés du 
cou marques en travers den me de 
Son 
pent a@ Sonnette; & Coe 
grande de tontes les V2 iperes a pays. 
cette efp ece oe au contyraire de toutes i PS Bd 
S Serpens couches ve des branches d’arbreés, qui pende 
fur les rivieres, dans tefquelles ils fe laiffent as 
quand ils voyent ie a bateau: fouvent mémé 
ils fe jettent dans le bateau, ou fur . téte des hommes. 
Ils fe poftent en cette maniere, pour furprendre les 
oifeaux & les poiffons : ils fe jpiee ea: Peau fur ces 
derniers: les pour/uivent avec beaucoup de vitefe; & 
en prennent de gros, gu ils aportent Jur le rivage, & 
fes avalent tout entiers. Te urpr 1S 171 fot ir un de ces 
Serpens, nageant vers le bord avec un gr aoe Cat-Fith, 
/ efpece diferente de ceux, dont on a donné la de- 
Seription, Pol 11, py 2 3: Gelui-ci ayatity de chague 
cété des ouyes, dewx arrétes pointues qui s étoient en 
foncées dans les mackoires du Serpent, celui-la ne put 
fe Aaa malgré tous Jes efforts & fes rowers 
oa ce n 
Serpent a Sonnette: on dit ee que leurs morfures né 
font pas moins mortelles. Ils fréequentent leau, & 
on ne les en voit jamais fort éloignés. 
cette Vipere eff menue vers la 
I ie 5 
1710 pointe obtufe, dune fubjiance femblable 
ap) 
corne, dun pee de long. Gette ponte quot 
qu incapable aire aucun mal, a donné une idéeé 
effrayante ce Ser ps en faifant croiré que ¢ étoid 
un fecond t equel il pouvoit faire autant 
de mal qu avet fe s dents; ‘ ay quelques perfonnes cré= 
Pr), ins eel - y 
Ufel UstLe ree y 
mort, quot gue cela Jot réellement auf fabuleux gue cé 
gu on dit du Serpent a deux tétes. Ce pendant on dit 
gue par un coup 1D ah elle 
2 mort non no went les ieee & 
plus aifée a penetrer que cel 
méme infant Larbre fe fane, noircit, © meurt. 
cap fc ula pentagona. 
Cz T Ar by eee dent la Lee a ti ge ¢ oft Le a ie o ca bie: themes 
os on pies 
fes feuilles fi font minces iS at cn 
leurs bords. yar nie jo os un bon verdatre, a vies, avec 
un b Pn gui deffus des bords du a Bis 
rt ment oe con a un des cbtés ¢ des p ran 
ces ces fetes ie ie bayes rondes; qui Scuvrent, lors qu 
maturite, SF chaque baye fe partage en ie leges qui renfer. ue cn 
eae pac Cet Arbriffeau croit dans tes lieux buinides de Ia Virginie 
& la oline, 
