380 LEAVES FEOM THE 



And here I would venture to suggest an improvement 

 in the ordering and keeping the reptiles, which must 

 materially affect the comfort and health of the fine 

 specimens which are there preserved. Generally speak- 

 ing, reptiles, snakes especially, are very fond of water, 

 not merely for the purpose of drinking, but of taking a 

 bath. Most of the boas and pythons, of which there is 

 such a fine show, haunt the neighbourhood of waters in 

 their natural state ; and in the summer months, the ser- 

 pents in the reptile-house may be observed availing them- 

 selves of the scanty accommodation afforded them. On 

 the 28th of July, in the last year, there was not a single 

 serpent, with the exception of what may be termed the 

 more arid species, that was not making the most of the 

 milk-pans of water, that did duty for baths. It was at 

 once ludicrous and painful to see the efforts of the more 

 gigantic snakes to cool their heated systems in an allow- 

 ance of fresh water, which would be considered stinted 

 in a long voyage. The rock-snake could do no more than 

 get its head, and no great part of its neck, into its pan, 

 and there the head lay motionless, except when it was, 



at once ; and there they will find the witch sm-rounded by all the 

 horrors in which M. G. Lewis, that ' jewel of a man,' as Byron 

 called him, could envelop her. Here is a morsel or two by way of 

 a whet : — 



She heard him on her mount of stone, 



Wliere on snakes alive she was feeding alone ; 



And straight her limbs she anointed all 



With basilisk's blood, and viper's gall. 



But seeing before away she sped. 

 That her snakes, half-eaten, Avere not yet dead. 

 She crush'd their heads with fiendish spite, 

 But had not the mercy to kill them quite. 



Now, if lords and ladies are curious to know 

 What became of the witch when she left Ben-y-gloe, 

 'Tis right to inform them, for fear of mistakes, 

 That home she went, and finished her snakes. 



