356 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I766. 



portance; for when we examine their monuments of the greatest antiquity, such 

 as their obelisks, temples, statues, palaces, and even their mummies, we are 

 almost sure to find many representations of it on them. Those two immensely 

 large stones, lately brought from Alexandria, in Egypt, now in the court-yard of 

 the British Museum, which appear to be part of the grand cornice of some 

 magnificent palace, have many figures of the cerastes curiously engraved on 

 them. Dr. Hasselquist, a pupil of the celebrated Linneus, who was in Egypt in 

 1730, has given a particular description of this curious animal; but neither he 

 nor the former writers on Egypt, that mention the cerastes, say any thing about 

 the venom of its bite. This we are informed of only by Dr. TurnbuU, who 

 lived many years in Egypt, both at Alexandria and Cairo, and who presented 

 Mr. E. with two specimens of it. Dr. Linneus, in his System of Nature, p. 

 2J7, calls it coluber cerastes. Dr. Hasselquist, in his Iter. p. 315, coluber 

 cornutus. 



The length of this specimen here mentioned is as follows ; from the nose to 

 the anus 22-J- inches, the tail 3i inches ; so that the whole serpent is 26 inches 

 long. The belly is covered with 145 broad scales, or scuta; the tail with 43 

 pair of small scales, or squamae. The number of squamae and scuta have been 

 thought by late authors to be the best method of determining the species of ser 

 pents ; but they are not ignorant that they differ a few now and then : Hassel- 

 quist reckoning 150 scuta, and 50 pair of squamae, to his Coluber cornutus. 



XXXFI. Abstract of a Journal of the Weather in Quebec, between A[)ril 1st 

 1765, and^pril 30th 1766. By Capt. Alex. Rose, of the 5ld Reg. p. 29I. 

 This register contains the greatest and least height of the thermometer, for 

 many days in the year above-mentioned, commonly 8 or 10 days in each month, 

 more or less ; also the direction of the wind, with the kind of weather on the 

 same days, as to fair or foul, rain, snow, &c. It appears that the range of the 

 quicksilver in the thermometer is very great, and the changes sudden and various, 

 both in the different parts of the day, and between the different seasons of the 

 year. Thus, the greatest height of the thermometer on April 15, was 6o°, and 

 the least as low as 31, a difference of 1Q)° in the same day. On May 27, the 

 greatest height was 80°, and the least 58, a difference of 22°. On June 9, the 

 thermometer rose as high as 87", the greatest height that year, and sunk as low 

 as 64°, a difference of 23°. On Dec. 25, the greatest height was 29°, and the 

 least O, or 32 below the freezing point. On Dec. 31, the greatest height was 

 15° below zero, and the least 29" below zero, or 6l° below the freezing point, 

 being the lowest that it fell on any day that year. On Jan. 5, it rose as high as 

 25° above, and fell to 25° below zero, a difference of 50°. On Jan. 2 1 , it rose as 



