0fOXFO%p~SHI%E. 187 



Cochlea terrettri* of this figure, but gives no cut of it. 



35. Of other Ripfils we have little to fay, but that in the 

 crdfiipof Blechington, and all the more Northern parts of 0x~ 



vrd-fiire, no Snakes have been ever or very rarely feen, in fo 

 much that I met with feveral ancient people about Deddington and 

 Banbury that fcarce ever faw a Snake in their lives, at leaft not 

 in that Country. And 21 Blechington 'twas confidently believed, 

 that a Snake brought from any other place, and put down there, 

 would inftantly die, till I made the experiment 2nd. found no fuch 

 matter: Whereupon I got leave (in the abfence of the Family') 

 to inclofe my Snake in the Court, before the Right Honorable the 

 Lord Anglefey's houfe, to fee what time would produce, lea- 

 ving the Gardiner in trull to obferve it ftri&ly, who found it in- 

 deed, after three weeks time -dead, without any fenfible external 

 hurt. 



36. How this fhould come to pafs, is a queflion indeed not 

 eafie to determin, but certainly it muft not be afcribed to the 7a- 

 lifmanical figure of the (tone Ophiomorphites to be found about Ad- 

 derbury, and in moft blue clays, whereof there are plenty in this 

 Country. Since thefe are to be met with about Oxford too, and 

 many other places, where there are Snakes enough. Befidc, we 

 are informed by Cardan r , that Alberta* Magnus had a ftone, that 

 being naturally mark'd with the figure of a Serpent, had this no 

 lefs admirable than contrary virtue, that if it were put into a 

 place that was haunted with Serpents, it would draw them all to 

 it. Much rather may we fubfcribe to the caufe afligned by Pliny s , 

 who feems confidently to affert, that the earth that is brackiffj, 

 and ftandeth much upon Salt-peter, is freer from vermin than any 

 other. To which we may add (if need be) Sulpbur and Vitri- 

 ol, whereof there is plenty in thefe parts of the County ; but whe- 

 ther by one, two, or all thefe, though we dare not pronounce, yen 

 that it is caufed by fome fuch mineral fleam difagreeable to the 

 Animal, I think we may be confident. 



37. Amongft the inhabitants of the Earth, come we next to 

 the Quadrupeda, whereof fome are povwu-x*., whole- hooft, fuch 

 as Affes, Mules, Horfes,o which laftkind I met with three remark- 

 able for their age ; one at Souldern, another at Sherbourn, and a 

 third at Afton Row ant, each reported to be about forty years old 



I T>e Subtilitate, lit. 7. Nat. Hi[i. lib 17 . cap. 4. 



A a 2 apiece. 



