362 SERPENTS IN GENERAL. 



for six or eight months together without being offered 

 any kind of food, yet never displayed any symptoms 

 of langour, or shewed a desire for what appears neces- 

 sary for the preservation of life. 



The voice of the serpent differs essentially ; some 

 have a peculiar cry, though a kind of hiss is the gene- 

 ral sound ; and this they are said to modulate so nice!}', 

 as to resemble the music of an English grove ; though 

 the sensations produced by the two species must doubt- 

 less have a very different effect, the one ^filling the 

 mind with pleasurable sensations, and the other excit- 

 ing alarm and dread. 



The motion of these animals likewise varies : the 

 viper is slow ; the ammodytes swift, and darts upon 

 its prey with that unerring rapidity which scarcely 

 gives them a chance to escape; the jaculus is allowed 

 to be the swiftest in its motion of any of the serpent 

 tribe, and the method it adopts to proceed with this 

 rapidity is by coiling itself upon its tail, and darting 

 from thence to its full extent, then twisting the tail to- 

 wards the head in an instant, and again darting for- 

 ward in pursuit of food. 



Though all serpents are known to be amphibious, 

 yet they can only exist in marshes, or fresh-water 

 streams ; and, if transported to the briny element, the 

 most healthy of them would soon expire. Some of the 

 species bring forth their young alive, whilst others are 

 produced from eggs ; but the last distinction to be 

 made between them is, that some are harmless, and 

 others fatal in their effects. 



Destructive as this poison often proves to us, it has 

 been given for the animal's support and defence ; for, 

 unarmed by Nature with any powerful weapons, it would 

 be exposed to the attacks of every other tribe ; but, 



