ORDER II SERPENTES. RATTLE-SNAKE. 237 



black and brown. The legs and feet are dusky ; and on 

 each foot are five toes furnished with claws. 



This animal is extremely nimble, and in hot weather 

 may be seen basking on the sides of dry banks or old 

 trees ; but, on finding itself observed, it quickly retreats 

 to its hole. It feeds, as indeed do all the species found 

 in England, on insects : and in its turn becomes the 

 prey of birds. All the British lizards are perfectly in- 

 noxious ; it is their figure alone that excites our aversion, 

 and has occasioned their representation in an unpleasing 

 point of view. Indeed, few can divest themselves of a 

 certain horror at the sight of even the smallest of them : 

 for with us they possess neither beauty of colouring nor 

 elegance of form to attract the eye ; but in the former 

 quality there are some species, natives of warmer cli- 

 mates, which might justly challenge our attention and 

 admiration. 



ORDER II. SERPENTES. 



THE distinguished characteristics of serpents are, that 

 they breathe through the mouth, by means of lungs only ; 

 and are destitute of feet, ears, and fins. There are six 

 genera in the Linnaean arrangement, which shall be here 

 treated of in order. 



THE RATTLE-SNAKE. 



This dreadfully-poisonous reptile is a native of the 

 American continent. It is sometimes found as thick as 

 a man's leg, and six feet long. In most particulars it 

 resembles the viper. Like that animal, it has a large 

 head, and a small neck, and its colours are nearly the 

 same ; but it differs in having a large pendulous scale 

 over each eye, and a nictitating membrane ; besides that 



