492 APPENDIX, 



fidiertnen in almoft every country, frequently avail themfelve* of the fam« 

 difpofi ion ill fome fpccies of fifh ; andexpeft to allure them to their boate 

 or weapons by the light oF a lanthorn or fmall fire. The fportfmen in 

 fomc countries, efFcdl their purpofes by the refleftion of light. " There 

 is a method among fpocilmcn of taking larks by a net and looking glaffesi 

 ■which they exprels by ihe name of Daring. Five or fix looking glaffes 

 are fo fixed to aftick.asto reflect the light upwards. Theftickin v^?hich they 

 are fixed is fo made as to revolve on its axis by means of a firing wound 

 round it. When tlie machine is thus twirled round, the li^ht is rcflefted 

 upwards by the mirrors in quick and conftant fucceflion, and to a confid- 

 crable extent. The bird is faid to be enticed or invited by the glim- 

 xnering of the light, till it defcends and lights near the looking glaffes, and 

 is then taken by the net. "f " Thelark catchers in fome countries," fays 

 Brvd.-^ne, " are fo dexterous at this maneuver, that with a fmall mirror they 

 throw the rays of light on the laik, let her be ever fo high in the air; which 

 by a ki[;d of facinuion, brings down the poor animal to the fnare."J 



Such an effeft does not feeni to be altogether diflimilar to what takes 

 place in the facination of a biid bv a ferpent. The lad at New-Jerfey 

 faid that " at the inllantthe fnake fixed his eye upon him there appeared 

 fomething to flafh in his eyes, which he could compare to nothing more 

 fimilar. than the rays of light thrown from a glafs or mirror when turned 

 in the fun fhine ; he faid it dazzled his eyes Sac." Nor do the eyes of the 

 ferpent feem to be unfitted to produce fome fuch cfFeft. There is fome- 

 thing in the eyes of a large rattle fnake that is fo fierce, ardent, and penc<> 

 trating, thai it is painful to look upon them ; and we do in faft experi* 

 ence phyficaleff(.£ts, which to fay the leafl, are agitating and very uncomfor- 

 table. 



6. Whence arofe the idea of any uncommon fubtiky or cunning in the 

 ferpent ? There does not feem to be any thing in the whole race, v^hich 

 has proved agrceabfe, ufeful, or beneficial to mankind. The higheft de- 

 gree of malice and danger wereexpreffed by the ancients, by the phrafe of 

 a ferpent that would not be charmed ; that is phyfically divefled of his 

 difpofition to bite,* And yet it has happened that this fpecies of animals 

 in almotl every country, has been coufidered as the emblem of fomething 

 wife or excellent. 



Straboand Eufebius tell us that at Elephantina, the god that was fup- 

 pofed to reprefent the architect of the univerfewss adored under the fi= 

 gureofa ferpent. In Jiis hilloryofthe creation, Mofes reprefents the 

 feipent, as more fubtile than any head of the field, which the Lord God had 

 made. Thejewifh and the Chriftian theology both fuppofe that the 

 form of the ferpent was that whiih the tempter chofe, to give the greateft 

 probability, influenct", and fucccfs to bis defigns and attempts upon the hu= 

 Jttian race. The Saviour of mankind in his day, pave it as a command 

 to his dif^ciples, lobe wife as ferpcnts, but harmlefs as doves. The Egyp- 

 tians twined two ferpen's together round the globe, probably to reprelent 

 the equilibrium of the fyflem of the world. In India, the priefts put the 

 fcTpcnt into the hands of their divinities. By a circle made by a ferpent 

 ^viih his tail in bis month, the ancients meant to reprefent eternity; by 

 being coild rooiid a flick, he was fuppo'ed to exhibit the god of health J 

 and we have msde him the repit-rentaiive of julfice and prudence. The 

 Jews, the Greeks and the Muflulmcn, have all viewed this reptile ia a 



•f- Supplement to Chambers's Di-flionary. Artirie Dor inc. 



X P.rvdone's tour through Sxily and Malta. Boflon Edit. p. 15^;. 



"" Pfalm 58. 3, 4, 5. Jeremiah 8. 17. Ecclefiaftes 10, nt. 



