218 lawson's history 



Green snakes are very small, tlioiigh pretty (if 

 any beauty be allowed to snakes.) Every one 

 makes himself very familiar with them, and puts 

 them in their bosom, because there is no manner 

 of harm in them. 



The corn snakes are but small ones ; they are of 

 a brown color, mixed with tawny. There is no 

 more hurt in this, than in the green snake. 



Of those we call vipers, there are two sorts. 

 People call these vipers, because they spread a 

 very flat head at any time when they are vexed. 

 One of these is a grayish, like the Italian viper, the 

 other black and short ; and is reckoned amongst 

 the worst of snakes for venom. 



Tortois, vulgarly called turtle, I have ranked 

 these among the insects because they lay eggs, 

 and I did not know well where to put them. 

 Among us there are three sorts. The first is the 

 green turtle, which is not common, but is some- 

 times found on our coast. The next is the hawks 

 bill, which is common. These two sorts are ex- 

 traordinary meat. The third is logger head, which 

 kind scarce any one covets, except it be for the 

 eggs, which of this and all other turtles are very 

 good food. 'None of these sorts of creatures' eggs 

 will ever admit the white to be harder than a jelly ; 

 yet the yolk, with boiling, becomes as hard as any 

 other egg. 



Of terebins there are divers sorts, all which, to 

 be brief, we will comprehend under the distinc- 

 tion of land and water terebins. The land terebin 



