5^ A NATURAL HISTORY 



It is flow in its motion, and does not leap like other Ser" 

 pents, but is very nimble to bite when provok'd. The Scales un- 

 der the Body refemble that of well-poli(h*d Steel. They appear 

 in divers Colours, yellow, afh, green ; and others of Libya^ like 

 the Inhabitants, of a blackiih Hue ; its Front not unlike that of 

 a Hog. 



VIPERS of other Nations, are fuppofed to be larger than 

 the Europea?j, efpecially the T'roghdite-Viper *, which is faid to 

 be above fifteen Cubits long: and the Hiilorian adds, viz. That 

 there are no domeJiickVipers. I prefume, he means they are not 

 brought up among the Children of the Family, as feme Serpents 

 are feid to have been ; this little venemous Reptile being of a. 

 more mifchievous Nature -j-. 



The Viper differs from the Snake in bulk, being not ^o large^ 

 and their Scales more fharp, and Head more large : They alfo 

 differ in this, viz. Snakes lay their Eggs, twenty, thirty, fixty, 

 and a hundred fometimes, in one Neft, not quite fo large as that 

 of a Magpye (which are inclofed with a whitifh Skin, but not 

 with Scalet) in Dunghills and other warm Situations, where they 

 are hatch'd by adventitious Heat, commonly call'd Adders in this 

 Country ; whereas Vipers make ufe of their own Matrix, and 

 bring forth live Vipers : Their young ones come forth wrapt up 

 in thin Skins, which break on the third day, and fet the little 

 venemous Creatures at liberty, therefore rank'd among the vivi- 

 parous Animals. 



Their Births are much like young Snigs for Bulk ; they ge- 

 nerally bring forth about twenty young ones, but only one each 

 day. It is obfeiv'd of the Viper, that its Internals are not fetid, 

 like thole of fome other Serpents, that are intolerable. 



The Eggs of Lizard-Serpents, which are fo much efteem'd 

 in the French-IJlands of America^ are of the fame Size and Figure 

 as thofe of Pigeons, and are generally ufed in all forts of Sauces : 

 V/hen the Females lay their Eggs, they make a Hole in the Sand, 

 and cover them with it, and the Heat of the Sun is furticient to 

 hatch them %• 



ALBE R 'TUS is quoted for a Battle between a Viper and a 

 Magpye, occaiioned by her creeping up into a Magpye's Neil:, 



and 



* ^//(3« tie Njt. Animal. f Conrad. Gejver. lUfl. p. 75. X Tevilleis 



Journal of the Phil. Math, aiii Bit. O f. 



