220 OF SERPENTS. 



serpents themselves can be brought to move and approach at 

 the voice of their master. From this trick, successfully prac- 

 ticed before the ignorant, it is most probable has arisen all 

 the boasted pretensions which some have made to charming 

 of serpents ; an art to which the native Americans pretend at 

 this very day. One of Linneeus's pupils, we are told, pur- 

 chased the secret from an Indian, and then discovered it to 

 his master ; but, like all secrets of the kind, it is probable this 

 ended in a few unmeaning words of no efficacy. 



From this general picture of the serpent tribe, one great 

 distinction obviously presents itself : namely, into those that 

 are venomous, and those that are wholly destitute of poison. 

 To the first belong the viper, the rattlesnake, the cobra di 

 capello, and all their affinities : to the other, the common 

 black snake, the liboya, the boiguacu, the amphisbaena, and 

 various others, that, though destitute of venom, do not cease 

 to be formidable. 



We will give in some future Number of this work the his- 

 tory of each class separately. 



