14 A NATURAL HISTORY 



conveyed to Ro>ne in Triumph *. This is the more credible, 

 fays Pliny, becaufe, in Italy, we fee other Serpents, called Boa, fo 

 large that in the Reign of Claudius, there was one of them killed 

 in the Vatican, within whofe Belly was found an Infant whole -{-. 



Among the Andes in America, are Serpents of prodigious Mag- 

 nitude, from 25 to 30 Foot long j:. In the Province of Caria^ 

 are Serpents ten Yards long, and Ten Hands broad, ar^d their Eyes 

 as large as two fmall Loaves. In Brafil, are found Serpents 30 

 Foot long. In Grejham-College, London, is a Snake preferved in 

 Spirits, that is near tv/o Yards long. 



I N Norway, we read of two Serpents of very large Proportion : 

 One of two hundred Foot long, and lives in Rocks and defolate 

 Mountains, near the Sea, about Bergen; which in Summer- 

 Nights ranges about in queft of Plunder, devouring Lambs, 

 Calves, Swine, and other Animals, that fall in its way. In a 

 calm Sea, it ranfacks the Superficies of the Water, and devours 

 the Polypus {i. e. a little Fifh of many Feet) and all forts of Sea- 

 Crabs. Upon the Approach of a Ship, this Serpent lifts up 



:rits Head above Water, and fnatches at the Mariners. My Author 

 adds, that it rolls itfelf round about the Ship, the more eifeftu- 

 ally to fecure its Prey ||. The Reprefentation of this you have 

 in C. Gefner. 



The other Serpent is in the Diocefs of Hammer, about fifty 

 Cubits long, by Conjeilure. In Bothnia, on the Livonia?! Sea, 

 we read of monftrous Serpents, with which the Shepherds of that 

 Country were in conftant War. Wonderful Things are reported 

 of the large Serpents that infeft the Helvetian Mountains. From 

 the In fiances above, 'tis evident that the Northern Climates breed 

 Serpents as well as the South; but with this Difference, that they 

 are not fo venomous as thofe in Africa, tho' Olaus Magnus, Arch- 

 bifliop of Vplal, feems to except the Shrew-Serpent. Ibid. 



There are Marine, as well as Land-Dragons, of uncommon 

 Bignefs: Some in Ethiopia of 30 Paces long, and in Phrygia ten 



Paces long. ■ N. B. A geometrical Pace is five Foot; 



but if it be the lefTer Pace only, vIt:. the Meafure of two Foot 



and 



* Prcelium grande bf acre eumque magna totlus exercitus conflliiatione, haUflis 

 latque cfitapultis diu oppugnatnm — Ejufque interfeiii longum coriurn pedes IZQ. Aul. 

 Gellii N«£f. Att. LiberVl .Cap. iii. f Nat. Hi/i. B. VIII. Cap. xiv. J Dt 



Le Vega, [j Olaits Magn, B. xxi. c. 27. p. 23. Gefner ex Scalig, 



