CURIOUS CREATURES. 291 



" The Latines call it Boa, and Bova, because by sucking 

 Cowe's milke it so encreaseth, that in the end it destroyeth 

 all manner of herdes, Cattell, and Regions. . . . The 

 Italians doe usually call them, Serpeda de Aqua, a 

 Serpent of the water, and, therefore, all the Learned 

 expound the Greeke word Hydra, for a Boas. Cardan 

 saith, that there are of this kind in the Kingdom of 

 Senega, both without feet and wings, but most properly, 

 as they are now found in Italy, according to these 

 verses : 



Boa quidem serpens quern lellus Itala nutrit 

 Hunc bubulum plures lac enutrire docent. 



Which may be englished thus : 



The Boas Serpent which Italy doth breede, 

 Men say, itppon the milke of C owes dothfeede. 



" Their fashion is in seeking for their prey among the 

 heardes, to destroy nothing that giveth suck, so long 

 as it will live, but they reserve it alive untill the milk 

 be dryed up, then afterwards they kill and eate it, and 

 so they deale with whole flocks and heards." 



Whilst on the subject of Hydra, I give Topsell's idea 

 of the Lernean Hydra, whose story is so familiar to us. 

 (See p. 292.) But, after presenting us with such a frightful 

 ideal, he says : " And some ignorant men of late daies at 

 Venice, did picture this Hydra with wonderfull Art, and 

 set it forth to the people to be scene, as though it had 

 beene a true carkase, with this inscription : In the yeare 

 of Christe's incarnation, 550, about the Month of January, 

 ' this monstrous Serpent was brought out of Turky to 

 Venice, and afterwards given to the French King : It 

 was esteemed to be worth 600 duckats. These monsters 



