O F S E R P E N T S. ^ 1S5 



with its voluminous twiftings ; and at every -twift the bones of the buf- 

 fj^lo were heard to crack. It was in vain that the poor aniii)al ftruggled 

 and bellovyed ; its enormous enemy entwined it too clofely to get free -, till 

 at length, all ics bones being maflied to pieces, and the whole body reduced 

 to one uniform mafs, the ferpent untwined its folds, to fwallow its prey at 

 leifure. To prepare for this, and in order to make the body flip down the 

 throat more glibly, it was feen to lick the whole body over, and thus 

 cover it with its mucus. It then began to fwallow it at that end that 

 offered lead refiftance ; while its length of body was dilated to receive 

 its prey, and thus took in at once a morfel that was three times its own 

 thicknefs. Similar accounts have confirmed this. Whenever they feize 

 and fwallow their prey, they feem, like furfcited gluttons, unwieldy, 

 ftupid, helplefs, and fleepy j they feek fome retreat, where they may 

 lurk for feveral days together, and digeft their meal in fafety ; the 

 fmalleft effort at that time is capable of deftroying them j they can fcarce 

 rpake any refiftance, an:', are equally unqualified for flight or oppofition : 

 this is the happy opportunity of attacking them with fuccefs. 



Serpents have a moft horrible factor : this proceeds from the putrefac- 

 tion of their food, which corrupts ere their ftomach digefl:s it. Some 

 perfons who have opened ferpents have been almofl fuffocatcd with the 

 ftench. To thi§ alfo contribute two glands near the vent, like thofe in 

 the weafel or polecat ; and, like thofe animals, in proportion as they are 

 excited by rage ox by fear, the fcent grows ftronger. The rattlc- 

 fnake and viper have no fmell whatever; nay, we are told that atCalecut 

 and Cranganon, in the Eaft Indies, there are fome very noxious ferpents 

 whofe excrements are fought after, and kept as the molt pleaflng per- 

 fume. The Efculapian ferpent is alfo of this number. 



All ferpents come from an eggj but in fome the egg burfts in the 

 womb, being come to maturity : and thefe bring forth their young alive, 

 as the viper : while others bring forth eggs, whicn are afterwards hatched 

 by the heat of their fituation j as the common Black Snake, and the ma- 

 jority of the ferpent tribe. The number of their eg^s is uncertain, as 

 is the time of their coming to maturity. The eggs are not always laid at 

 once, but one by one, at intervals ; and often, it is thought, with pain. 

 If either kind is opened, the eggs will be found in the womb, covered 

 with their membranous fliell, and adhering to each other like large 

 breads on a ftring. In the eggs of both, the young ones will be found, 

 though at different ftages of maturity : thofe of the viper will crawl and 

 bite in the moment the fliell that inclofcs them is broke open ; thpfe of 



Part V. No. 29. I i the 



