644 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. I ANNO J 723. 



till the last- mentioned pregnant female viper and the mouse interchanged 

 eyes ; on this the mouse startled; but the viper raised her head, and turned her 

 neck into a perfect bow, the mouth open, the tongue playing, the eyes all on 

 fire, and the tail erect. The mouse seemed soon recovered of his fright, would 

 take a turn or two, and sometimes more, pretty briskly, round the viper, and 

 giving now and then a squeak, would run swiftly into the chops of the viper, 

 where it gradually sunk down the gullet. All this while the viper never stirred 

 out of its place, but lay in a ring. It is remarkable that no viper will feed, 

 when confined, except a female viper impregnated. 



The same I saw at Brussels, where a soldier had caught a large viper big with 

 young. The house, where I and some of my companions lodged, was near 

 the fish-market, where my landlord had a sow, and 5 small pigs of 9 or 10 days 

 old. We got one of the pigs, which we caused to be bit by the viper in the 

 tail, and in 4 minutes time chopped off the tail, the pig appearing to be sick 

 and dizzy, and the remaining part of the tail being swelled ; but I believe the 

 bleeding saved it, for the next morning it was well again. The same happened 

 to another pig, which we had got bit in the fore foot, and staying 7 minutes 

 after the bite, cut off his leg about 2 inches above the bite. After these 2, we 

 took the other 3, and had them bit in several places, whereof 2 died that 

 night, and the 3d recovered, we having given it, about 5 or 6 minutes after- 

 wards, JO grains of emetic tartar. This I tried afterwards upon dogs bit by 

 vipers, and I found that they all recovered on the emetic tartar. 



Observations on the Figures of Snow. By the Rev. BenJ. Langwiik, D. D, 

 Rector of Petworth. N° 376, p. 298. 



On Jan. 30, 1723, a little after 9 in the morning, weather cold, wind south- 

 westerly, but not very high, barometer above 30 inches, I saw that pretty phe- 

 nomenon of the star-like snow, and though on comparing my observations 

 afterwards with those of Descartes, Dr. Grew, Mr. Morton, I find I have but 

 little to add on the subject; yet as I observed the progress of nature, in this 

 sort of crystallization, with a great deal of pleasure, I hope it will not be dis- 

 agreeable to you to receive an account of it. 



I shall begin with the most simple figures a and b, pi. 16, fig. 11, of which 

 the former is a roundish pellet of ice; the second, a small oblong body, with 

 parallel sides, which is often as fine as a hair. Of this latter kind the flakes of 

 snow chiefly consist; and though they look white to the eye, yet when viewed 

 with a small magnifier of a microscope, they appear like so many transparent 

 needles of ice thrown together, without any order. 



