44 History of Nature. [BOOK VIII. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

 Of Serpents. 



As regards Serpents, it is commonly observed that for 

 the most part they are of the Colour of the Earth in which 

 they lie hidden : and a very great number of Sorts there 

 are of them. The Cerastes 1 hath standing out on the 

 Body some small Horns, which are often four Double ; 

 by moving which, while the rest of the Body is hidden, 

 she enticeth the Birds into her Power. 



The Amphisbsena hath two Heads, 2 that is to say, one at 

 the Head and another at the Tail, as if it were little to cast 

 out her Poison at one Mouth only. Some have Scales, 

 others are painted ; but all have deadly Venom. The 

 Jaculus darteth itself from the Boughs of Trees : so that 

 we are not only to guard against Serpents with our Feet, 

 but also to look to them that fly as a Dart from an Engine. 

 The Aspides swell about the Neck 3 (when they purpose to 

 sting); and there is no Remedy for the Bite unless the 

 Parts that are wounded are cut off immediately. This 

 destructive Creature hath one Point yet of Understanding, 



1 Vipera (Cerastes") caudalis. SMITH. Near the middle of each of 

 the arched eyebrows of this venomous snake there is a slender, pointed, 

 slightly recurved spine, about a line, or a line and a quarter in length. 

 This in part answering the description of Pliny, renders it not improbable 

 that it is the reptile intended by our author. It inhabits the dry sandy 

 districts of Africa. A harmless serpent much like this is mentioned by 

 Herodotus, book ii. as being esteemed sacred by the Egyptians. Wern. 

 Club. 



3 The modern genus Amphisbsena is perfectly harmless and inoffen- 

 sive, and confined to Brazil and other parts of South America ; it could 

 not, therefore, have been known to the ancients. What their Amphis- 

 baena was, must be left to conjecture. Wern. Club. 



3 Vipera Haje. DAUBIN. The Asp. The asp is often mentioned 

 both by Greek and Roman writers ; and from the discrepancies which are 

 observable in the accounts given by different authors, it seems probable 

 that two or three different species of poisonous serpents were known to 

 the ancients under this common name. From various circumstances, 

 however, and particularly from the description of Pliny, it is evident that 



