THE SERPENT'S STRANGENESS 157 



out to seek for them, since for every one equalling 

 these in lustre he will burden himself with many a 

 bushel of common pebbles. 



Lockwood called to mind the mystic wheels in 

 Ezekiel's splendid imaginings " for the spirit of 

 the living creature was in the wheels." His lissom 

 beautiful captive might also have been likened to 

 Shelley's dream-serpent in the Witch of Atlas 



In the flame 

 Of its own volumes inter volved. 



He had abundant reason to admire the creature's 

 intricate and delicate movements when it appeared 

 like " gossamer incarnate," after having witnessed 

 its motions of another kind, and its deadly power. 

 He had seen it lying extended, apparently asleep, 

 on the floor of its box, when a rat, which had been 

 placed with it, ran over it, but not quite over it, 

 for, quick as lightning, it had wound itself round 

 the rat's body, coil over coil, like hand grasping 

 hand in squeezing a lemon, until the bones of the 

 constricted animal cracked audibly ; then it was 

 dropped, dead and crushed and limp, on to the 

 floor ; and the serpent, having revenged the 

 indignity, resumed its interrupted repose. With 

 this lightning-like deadly quickness of motion and 

 the melting mazy evolutions at the other times, 

 he also contrasted its statue-like immobility, when, 

 with head raised high and projecting forwards, it 

 would actually remain for hours at a stretch, its 

 brilliant eyes fixed on some object that had alarmed 

 it or excited its curiosity. 



