i84 REPTILES. 



When certain ferpents propofe to dart fuddenly on their prey, they roll 

 themfelves into a fpiral, raifing only their head j and Springing at once, 

 uniting the elafticity of each part into one whole, they bound with the ra- 

 pidity of a dart. The motions of ferpents, when climbing trees, proceeds 

 on the fame principles as on the ground ; but fometimes they hang by 

 the tail, and fwinging themfelves backward and forward, at length reach 

 the bough they afpire to. There are many ferpents that dart with fuch 

 amazing fwiftnefs, they appear rather to leap than crawl j and we are 

 told by fome that they will dart to a very great diftance. The manner 

 of progrelTion in the fwifteft ferpent we know (the Jaculus), is by inftant- 

 ly coiling itfc^lfupon its tail, and darting from thence to its full extent; 

 then carrying the tail as quick as lightning to the head, coiling and 

 darting again j and by this means proceeding, with extreme rapidity, 

 without ever quitting the ground. Carli defcribes the Long Serpent 

 of Congo, making its track through the tall grafs, like mowers in a fum- 

 mer's day. He could not without terror behold whole lines of grafs ly- 

 ing levelled under the fweep of its tail. In this manner it moved for- 

 ward with great rapidity, till it found a proper fituation frequented by 

 its prey. 



Among ferpents fome are filent ; but hifTing is their common found, 

 cither as a call to their kind, or as a threat to their enemies. In the 

 countries where they abound, they are generally filent in the middle of 

 the day, when they are obliged to retire from the heat of the climate ; 

 but as evening approaches, they are then heard ifluing from their cells, 

 with continued hilTings. Their hifling is generally the prelude to their 

 combats j never is the language of pleafure or of love, but always be- 

 fpeaks anger and fury, or pain and vexation ; is never heard from far, as 

 it would betray their retreats or approaches. The ferpent preys indif- 

 criminately ; the buffalo, the tiger, the gazelle, the flag, the porcupine, 

 birds alfo, of which it generally ejeds the feathers ; nay, they frequently 

 are feen to devour each other ; yet they are capable of protracted hunger, 

 and fuffer little by it. Vipers are often kept in boxes fix or eight month? 

 without food : and fome alTert, certain ferpents may be kept years. In a 

 letter by Andrfw Cleyerus, printed in the German Ephemerides, we 

 have an account of a combat between an enormous ferpent and a buffalo, 

 by a perlon who afTures us that he was himfelf a fpedlator. The fer- 

 pent had for fome time been waiting near the brink of a pool, in expec- 

 tation of its prey ; when a buffalo was the firft that offered. Having 

 darted upon ihe affrighted animal, it inftantly began to ^rap it round 



Vith 



