OF SERPENTS. 



refides among Stones ; and when it rambles out, and hears any 

 Noife, makes towards it like a mighty Hero. Thus the Gallic 

 Monarch, upon Debates among Princes, marches out as fovereign 

 Umpire of Europe, and never returns home but by way of Lor- 

 rain, Corjica, Palatine, or Spanijh glanders, 



VII. The Afp^ fo called from the Afperity of its Skin, as Ar- 

 noldus, or from afpiciendo, becaufe of the Acutenefs of its Eyes. 

 A Serpent well known, but not accurately defcrib'd, fays the 

 Learned Mr, Ray: Some make it a fmall Serpent, others fay 'tis 

 feveral Feet long ; and both may judge right, for according to 

 Mlian, there are various Species of Afps ; fome a Foot and half 

 long, and others fix. 



Among thefe different Proportions, the leaft of them is faid 

 to be moft hurtful, and kills the foonefi:. Its Poifon is fo dan- 

 gerous and quick in its Operation, that it kills almoft in the very 

 Inftant that it bites, without a Poffibility of applying any Re- 

 medy : They die within three Hours, fays my learned Author * ; 

 and the manner of their dying by Sleep and Lethargy, without 

 Pain, made Cleopatra chufe it as the ealieft way of difpatching 

 herfelf. (More of this further on.) 



The s E Afpick Serpents, are the Growth of feveral Climates : 

 Olaus obferved fome of them in the northern Parts, of rugged 

 and rough Skins, afh Colour, fparkling Eyes, three or four Cu- 

 bits long -f- ; tho' Lovers of warm Situations, yet delight in 

 fhady Retirements X- Many of them are found in the Spanijh 

 Iflands -}-j but Egypt, Libya, and other Places in Africa claim 

 the greateft Right to them, for there they are mofl; numerous and 

 venemous. 



When provok'd, the Neck of this Creature fvvells, and the 

 Wound then given, is moft dangerous. Its Teeth are of conli- 

 derable length, growing out of the Mouth like the Tufks of a 

 Boar, The Hiftorian fays, that two of the longeft Teeth have 

 little Cavities in them, covered with a thin Skin, that Aides up 

 when it bites, by which means the poifonous Liquid runs oiit, 

 and drops into the Punfture ; after which, it recovers its Station. 



I 2 In 



• Ca met hi Verhurn., p. 21^. -f- yov(ioiiHS H//?. de Serp. p. 15. 



X Itito Leneca, ad umbram txf r;^eie dixtc- 



59 



