ORDER OPIIIDIA. 311 



into strips, or even comes off in a single piece, preserving the 

 form of the body. 



The serpents very seldom attack man without provocation ; 

 on the contrary, they usually appear to dread his presence. 

 Athough cunning, they are timid and fearful, apparently mild 

 in their manners, and patient or quiescent to excess. 



Their spontaneous movement from one place to another 

 is rather slow, in consequence of their complete want of 

 limbs ; but by rolling on themselves, the head being elevated 

 above the ground, and the body let fgo suddenly, after the 

 manner of a spring, they can dart occasionally a considerable 

 distance and with much force, from the place which they 

 occupied with their circumvolutions. 



Twisted round a tree, the boa, or the python, of enormous 

 length and prodigious force, awaits in ambuscade the arrival 

 of its fated victim, which it immediately envelopes in its 

 tortuous folds, and strangles in its murderous embrace. 

 The smaller serpents climb up trees in search of birds which 

 they devour even on the nest. 



It has been almost vmiversally believed that by certain 

 special emanations, by the fear whicli they inspire, or even 

 by a sort of magnetic or magic power, the serpents can 

 stupify and fascinate the prey which they are desirous to 

 obtain. Pliny attributed this kind of asphyxia, to a nau- 

 seous vapour proceeding from these animals ; an opinion 

 which seems to receive confirmation from the facility with 

 which, by the assistance of smell alone, the negroes and 

 native Indians can discover serpents in the savannahs of 

 America. Count de Lacepede seems inclined to adopt this 

 notion in his history of serpents. 



P. Kalm assures us that being fixedly regarded by a 

 serpent hissing, and darting its forked tongue out of its 

 mouth, the squirrels are, as. it were, constrained to fall from 

 the summit of the trees into the mouth of the reptile, which 



