SERPENTS. 



Of all the animals in the world none inspire mankind 

 with so much loathsome horror and dread as the scrpc^nt. 

 Both ancient and modern writers speak of thcun with 

 feelings of hatred and disgust. 



"The serpent that did sting thy father's life now wears his 

 crown." SnAKKHi'KAitK. 



Fur many years it has b(;en part of my duty to study, 

 and thereby to become aorjuaintcd with, anirriiils of this 

 class, and it has been most int(;r(^sting to mo to learn the 

 amount of power some of thom poss(;ss to destroy the life 

 of the creature they attack. 



Sorrio of the following narratives will explain the dangf^r 

 to which many persons unacrpuiinted with the subject 

 may be exposfjd, by incautiously handling or approaching 

 too near to these much-dreaded reptiles. 



The poisonous seq)ents are more to be feared, notwith- 

 standing their smaller size, than the monstrous oonsirioting 

 serpents, as the latter are more (jasily avoided, and, 

 moreover, they are less numerous than the smaller hann- 

 less or non-poisonous kinds. 



Many of the small poisonous sjjocies, as well fw some of 

 the large and powerful kinds, are abundant in moist and 

 gloomy tropical forests, whf:re they hide on the branches 

 of tiees concealed by the thick foliage, from which they 

 dart upon the unwary ; nor are they absent from the plains 



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