Ohfervations in Egypt. 429 



obferved to make, as often as they reft upon the Ground or xQ.Thcy7»akeufe 



. ofm^nyjolevnt 



turn to then- Nefts. For, firft of all, they throw their Heads ^''^^'""'''"- 

 backwards in aPofture, as it were, of Adoration; then they 

 itrike, as with a Pair of Caflanets ', the upper and lower Parts 

 of their Bill together ; and afterwards proftrate their Necks, 

 in a fuppliant Manner, quite down to the Ground; always re- 

 peating the fameGefticulations three or four Times. 



As the AchBohba, (the Oripelargus of the Antients,) thQsev-raiofthe 

 Camel, the Bubalus or Bekker elWaJJj, the Gazell^r: Antelope ^^χΙ^^^Ζί 

 ύΛQIchneHmon,Cham^leon;Dah,TFarraί,Thaihanr2e,CeraβesS>ic:'^ 

 have been already taken Notice of, I have very little to add 

 to the Natural Hiftory of the Animals of Egypt. However 

 it may be obferved, that the Sands and mountainous Diftriots 

 on both Sides of the Nile, afford as great a Plenty, both of the 

 Lizard and the SerpetitineY.^m^'i,, as the Defert oiS'm\ The^^^ Ceraiies 



/1 • 1 ri ίΊ ■ r lives long 



Cerajtes is the moft common Species of the Latter. Signore-«>:thoutFood. 

 Gahriell, (a Venetian Apothecary, who had lived a long Time 

 at Ka'iro,) fliewed me a Couple of thefe Vipers, which he had 

 kept five Years in a Bottle, well corked, without any Sort 

 of Food , unlefs a fmall Quantity of fine Sand, wherein they 

 coiled themfclves up in the Bottom of the VelTel, may be 

 reckoned as fuch. When I faw them, they had juft caft their 

 Skins, and were as brisk and lively as if newly taken. 



Of the Lizard Kind, the Warral is of fo docible a Nature, The warrai 

 and appears withal to be fo affefted with Mufick, that I have ^f^//""'^ 

 feen feveral of them keep exaol Time and Motion with the 

 'Derwpjes , in their circulatory Dances; running over their 

 Heads and Arms ; turning, when they turned ; and flopping 

 when they flopped . This, I prefume, (as there is no fmali 

 Affinity betwixt the Lizard and the Serpent,) may bear fome 

 Relation to the Quality which the Latter is fuppofed to 

 have, of being naturally affeoled with Mufick. The Pfalmift 

 alludes to it, (Pfal. 5-8. 4, y.) when he mentions the deaf Adder, 

 which floppeth her Ear, and refufeth to hear the Voice of the 

 Charmer, charm he never fo 'wijely. 



1 From this Noife it was called Crotal'iflrli by the Antients, the Crotalum being likewife 

 fuppofed CO have been taken from it. 



crepitante Ciconia roftro. Ovid. Met. 1. 6. 



Sonus, quo crepitant, oris potius, quam vocis eft. Sol'iii. Polyhift. ut fupra. Και n( -τηΜ^γ^ί, 

 "i-TTd^h •^■iie/ov-Taf «,οΛί ΚΡ0ΤΏ.2ΙΝ, Pbilofir. Epift. ad Epiit. Ciconiie, quafi Cican'u, a fono, 

 quo crepitant, did» fuiit; quem νοβτο qnatiente hc'mnt. Jftd. Orig. 1. 12. p.1134. 2 Vid. 

 p. 388. 



a.qqqq I 



