710 



A HISTORY OF 



is attended \vith no other symptoms than 

 those of an ordinary puncture ; and many of 

 this tribe, as if sensible of their own impotence, 

 cannot be provoked to bite, though never so 

 rudely assaulted. They hiss, dart out their 

 forky tongues, erect themselves on the tail, 

 and call up all their terrors to intimidate their 

 aggressors ; but seem to consider their teeth 

 as unnecessary instruments of defence, and 

 never attempt to use them. Even amongst 

 ihe largest of this kind, the teeth are never 

 employed, in the most desperate engagements. 

 Vv'hen a hare or a bird is caught, the teeth 

 may serve to prevent such small game from 

 escaping ; but when a buffalo or a tiger is to 

 be encountered, it is by the strong folds of the 

 body, by the fierce verberations of the tail, 

 that the enemy is destroyed : by this twining 

 round, and drawing the knot with convulsive 

 energy, this enormous reptile breaks every 

 bone in the quadruped's body, and then, at 

 one morsel, devours its prey. 



From hence we may distinguish the un- 

 venomous tribe into two kinds : first, into 

 tiose which are seldom found of any consi- 

 derable magnitude, and that never offend ani- 

 mals larger or more powerful than themselves, 

 but which find their chief protection in flight, 

 or in the doubtfulness of their form ; secondly, 

 into such as grow to an enormous size, fear 

 no enemy, but indiscriminately attack all 

 other animals and devour them. Of the first 

 kind is the Common Black Snake, the Blind 

 Worm, the Esculapian Serpent, the Arnphis- 

 baena, and several others. Of the second, the 

 Liboya, the Boiguacu, the Depona, and the 

 Boiquatrara. 



The Black Snake is the largest of English 

 serpents, sometimes exceeding four feet in 

 length. The neck is slender ; the middle of 

 the body thick ; the back and sides covered 

 with small scales ; the belly with oblong, nar- 

 row, transverse plaits : the colour of the back 

 and sides are of a dusky brown ; the middle of 

 the back marked with two rows of small black 

 spots, running from the head to the tail ; the plaits 

 on the bdly are dusky ; the scales on the sides 

 are of a bluish white ; the teeth are small and 

 serrated, lying on each side of the jaw in two 

 rows. The whole species is perfectly inoffen- 

 sive ; taking shelter in dunghills, and among 

 bushes in moist places ; from whence they 

 Seldom remove, unless in the midst of the day, 



in summer, when they are called out by the 

 heat to bask themselves in the sun. If disturb- 

 ed or attacked, they move away among the 

 brambles with great swiftness; but if too 

 closely pursued, they hiss and threaten, and 

 thus render themselves formidable, though in- 

 capable of offending. 



The black snake preys upon frogs, insects, 

 worms, mice, and young birds : and, consider- 

 ing the snirtllness of the neck, it is amazing 

 how large an animal it will swallow. The 

 black snake of Virginia, which is larger than 

 ours, and generally grows to six feet long, 

 takes a prey proportionable to its size ; par- 

 tridges, chickens, and young ducks. It is 

 generally found in the neighbourhood of the 

 hen-roost, and will devour the eggs even 

 while the hen is sitting upon them : these it 

 swallows whole, and often after it has done 

 the mischief will coil itself round in the nest. 



The whole of this tribe are oviparous, ex- 

 cluding eighty or a hundred eggs at a time, 

 which are laid in dunghills or hotbeds ; the 

 heat of which, aided by that of the sun, brings 

 them to maturity. During winter they lie 

 torpid, in banks of edges, and under old 

 trees. 



The Blind Worm is another harmless rep- 

 tile, with a formidable appearance. The 

 usual length of this species is eleven inches. 

 The eyes are red ; the head small ; the neck 

 still more slender ; from that part the body 

 grows suddenly, and continues of an equal 

 bulk to the tail, which ends quite blunt : the 

 colour of the back is cinereous, marked with 

 very small lines, composed of minute black 

 specks ; the sides are of a reddish cast ; the 

 belly dusky, and marked like the back. The 

 motion of this serpent is slow ; from which, 

 and from the smallness of the eyes, are derived 

 its names ; some calling it the slow and some 

 the blind worm. Like all the rest of the kind 

 in our climates, they lie torpid during winter; 

 and are sometimes found in vast numbers, 

 twisted n< Aether. This animal, like the for- 

 mer, is perfectly innocent; however, like the 

 viper it brings forth its young alive. Gesner 

 tells us, that one of these being si ruck on the 

 head when it was pregnant, it immediately 

 cast forth its young. 



The Arnphisbaena, or the Double Headed 

 Serpent, is remarkable for moving along with 

 either the head or the tail foremost ; and from 



