THE SERPENT'S STRANGENESS 157 



out to seek for them, since for every one equalling 



these in lustre he will burden himself with many a 



bushel of common pebbles. 



Lockwood called to mind the mystic wheels in 



Ezekiel's splendid imaginings — " for the spirit of 



the living creature was in the wheels." His lissom 



beautiful captive might also have been likened to 



Shelley's dream-serpent in the Witch of Atlas — 



In the flame 

 Of its own volumes intervolved. 



He had abundant reason to admire the creature's 

 intricate and delicate movements when it appeared 

 like " gossamer incarnate," after having witnessed 

 its motions of another kind, and its deadly power. 

 He had seen it lying extended, apparently asleep, 

 on the floor of its box, when a rat, which had been 

 placed with it, ran over it, but not quite over it, 

 for, quick as lightning, it had wound itself round 

 the- rat's body, coil over coil, like hand grasping 

 hand in squeezing a lemon, until the bones of the 

 constricted animal cracked audibly ; then it was 

 dropped, dead and crushed and limp, on to the 

 floor ; and the serpent, having revenged the 

 indignity, resumed its interrupted repose. With 

 this lightning-like deadly quickness of motion and 

 the melting mazy evolutions at the other times, 

 he also contrasted its statue-like immobility, when, 

 with head raised high and projecting forwards, it 

 would actually remain for hours at a stretch, its 

 brilliant eyes fixed on some object that had alarmed 

 it or excited its curiosity. 



