NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 363 



The African or Asiatic pythons may have been in the 

 eye of the sculptor of the Laocoon, but the models may 

 have existed nearer home, ' for that we see in Italy other 

 serpents named boa3, so big and huge, that in the dales 

 of the Emperor Claudius, there was one of them killed 

 in the Vaticane, within the belly whereof there was 



whatever injustice there may have been iu a sarcasm so dearly paid 

 for ; but, without standing up for the bravery of the men he con- 

 quered on their own soil — men who fought valiantly pro aris et 

 focis, — Philip's son, according to Vincentius, was sorely beset by 

 monsters as well as men. To say nothing of the ' hippodami,' 

 which rushed upon and devoured his troops as they were passing 

 the Indian river, when, in indignation at those who had led his 

 Macedonians into such peril without proper precautions, he ordered 

 a hundred and fifty of his generals to be throwai into the stream, 

 where the hippodami aforesaid did execution upon them, — pista 

 poena affecerunt, — to say nothing of that episode, his soldiers had 

 other horrors to confront. His camp was pitched near a lake, and 

 the weary Greeks were reposing after the heavy fatigues of the 

 day, when, at the rising of the moon, down came an army of 

 scorpions for their accustomed night-di-aught. They were followed 

 by a host of cerastes and other serpents, of all sizes and colours, 

 some red, some black, some white, and others glittering like gold. 

 The whole country resounded with their hissings. The affrighted 

 soldiers threw themselves instinctively into the serried phalanx, 

 and with their spears and shields crushed and pierced the invaders, 

 and the light troops plied them with fire. After a fight of about 

 two hours, some of the reptiles were killed, some got their drink, 

 and the survivors, to the joy of the troops, departed to their hiding- 

 places. Then, up to the third hoiu* of the night, the garrison had 

 a little rest, when down came immense serpents, as long and as 

 big as columns, with two or three heads a-piece. With these the 

 Macedonians fought for more than an hour — not by Shrewsbmy 

 clock — and routed them, but not without the loss of thirty slaves 

 and twenty soldiers. After the departure of the serpents appeared 

 enormous crabs, with shells like crocodiles. Many of these were 

 burnt, but many fought their way into the lake. The harassed 

 troops now began to hope that then' troubles were, for the present, 

 ended, when down came white lions as big as bulls, great boars, 

 lynxes, tigers, and horrible panthers ; and as soon as they were 

 driven off, an army of bats as big as pigeons was about their ears : 



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