308 GENERAL AVERSION TO SNAKES. 



these experiments the viper must not be mistaken 

 for the common snake. Yet this poor creature, 

 under the curse of ignorance and cruelty, never 

 escapes unscathed from power and opportunity. 

 All the snake tribe, innocuous and pernicious, seem 

 to be viewed with horror and aversion by mankind. 

 This horror, from the knowledge of their power of 

 inflicting harm in countries where such kinds are 

 found 5 is natural, and often preservative of life; 

 but the aversion generally felt, and that shuddering 

 occasionally noticed, at the sight of our harmless 

 snake, are like a deep-rooted principle. We imbibe 

 in infancy, and long retain in remembrance, the im- 

 pression of injuries from the wiles of the serpent ; 

 and the " enmity between it and the seed of the 

 woman "" appears still in full operation, and is pos- 

 sibly more extensively and insensibly diffused among 

 mankind than we are aware of. The harmless na- 

 ture of our snake seems to be fully known to the 

 little birds of the hedge, as they in no way give 

 intimation of its presence by any warning of avoid- 

 ance to their young, or that insulting vociferation 

 so observable when any really injurious creature is 

 perceived, but hop and sport about the basking 

 snake without fear or notice. 



All the human race seem to have inherited the 

 original anathema against this creature ; for though 

 the capricious cruelty of man is very frequently 

 exerted to the injury of many that his power ena- 

 bles him to tyrannize over, yet the serpent appears 

 to be a peculiar object of his enmity, as if it was 



