SERPENTS IN GENERAL. 363 



furnished as they are with this corrosive poison, every 

 rank of animals approaches them with dread, and the 

 malignity of a few serves as a protection for the rest. 



From the noxious qualities which these creatures 

 possess, it is natural to suppose that a general war 

 should be carried on against them, and that man, beast, 

 and bird, should unite in endeavouring to destroy such 

 an obnoxious race. The psylli, of old, were famous 

 for destroying serpents, by attracting them all towards 

 a fire ; and the ichneumon of India, and the peccary 

 of America, have the art of darting upon them, and 

 seizing them by the head. 



In India there is nothing so common as dancing ser- 

 pents, which are carried about in a broad flat vessel 

 somewhat resembling a sieve, which erect themselves 

 at their keeper's orders, and not only move their bo- 

 dies, but keep time with their head. 



Though the generality of mankind regard this formi- 

 dable race with horror, yet there are some nations which 

 pay them the greatest homage and respect ; the Egyp- 

 tians, in particular, hold them in such high veneration, 

 that it was not only a crime to kill them, but to treat 

 them with neglect; and in the kingdom of Widdah the 

 serpent is considered as a tutelary deity at this present 

 day. 



From this slight history of the race in general, it will 

 appear that they ought to be divided into two distinct 

 tribes, the one including those that are venemous, and 

 the other those trjat are incapable of inflicting pain. To 

 the first belongs the viper, the rattle-snake, the cobro 

 di capello, with the affinities attached to each : to the 

 other, the common black snake, the laboya, the boi- 

 guacu, the amphisboena, which, though harmless in 

 their nature, are considered as a formidable race, 



