VOL. VII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTION*. t) 



that being at the house of Sig. Magalotti on the 2d of June, 1672, there aime 

 Dr. Francini with a box containing many heads, cut off that morning, of vipers, 

 lately brought from Naples. He immediately desired to have some animals to 

 begin his experiments upon ; but there being at that time no other company 

 with Signer Magalotti but his brother and I, it was thought fit to stay till next 

 morning, that those gentlemen, who were at the dispute last winter, might be 

 present. 



I, however, desired the doctor to make at least one experiment, which being 

 granted, Signor Magalotti was sent to the public market for a couple of pigeons, 

 which were first wounded with the teeth of a viper's head that had been cut oft* 

 about seven or eight o'clock the same morning. The way of making the wound 

 was, by thrusting twice the master teeth into the fleshy part of the pigeon's 

 breast, till such time as pressing the upper part of the jaw, the two little blad- 

 ders that serve as gums to the teeth, did empty out upon the wound some of 

 that yellow liquor, which here is supposed to be the true and only poison of the 

 viper. This pigeon being thus bit, and set upon the ground, began to stagger 

 immediately, and died in less than three or four minutes. The second pigeon 

 was wounded in the same manner, but at the first w^ound there only entered 

 one of the teeth, which brought forth a great deal of blood; the second time 

 they both entered, and this had the same fiite, with this diflference only, that he 

 languished half a quarter of an hour. 



The next morning there met at Signor Magalotti's chambers, besides the 

 company of the day before, Signor Carlo Dati, Signor Vincenzo Viviani, Signor 

 Paola del Ara, Dr. Savona, Dr. Neri, Dr. Fabrini, and some others. Where- 

 upon six pigeons and a cock having been brought, the first thing that Dr. Fran- 

 cini did, was to thrust several thorns of rose shrubs into the breast of one of 

 those pigeons, to manifest that such accidents as might befal those that should 

 be wounded by the teeth of the deg,d vipers, were not merely caused by the 

 wound. And whereas one of the company began to make some nice reflections, 

 and take some of the heads to measure the just proportions of their teeth, to see 

 what difi'erence there might be betwixt them and the thorns ; this made the 

 doctor lose patience, and soon taking a pin, which was none of the least, he 

 gave to the first pigeon, that he could lay hands on, a very deep wound in the 

 breast, which no sooner was got free but began to leap and frisk about the 

 room, as if it had not been concerned in the least. 



After this, a pigeon was bit in the breast by both the master teeth of a vi- 

 per's head, that had been cut off the morning before; the efl^ect was, that the 

 pigeon had the same shaking fits; after which falling upon his belly he died, 

 giving signs a little before of a painful agony, by his often gaping. His end 



VOL. II. C 



