86 A NATURAL HISTORY 



puts them to flight ; and upon a clofe Purfuit of them, they 

 make a Stand, raife up their Heads to a confiderable Height, and 

 oppofe the Enemy with a loud and angry Hifs. No Danger is 

 apprehended from their Bite, and they are handled with Impunity. 



This Species of Serpents refembles the Efculapian^ that has 

 been fed in fome FamiUes; and when provoked to ufe the Teeth, 

 the Danger is no more than that from a Bee, whofe Weapons 

 are defenfive, and not employed without Provocation : In Winter 

 they retire into fubterraneous Spaces, where they lie dormant, till 

 the vernal Sun invites them out. 



Though they propagate as Vipers, it does not appear that 

 they fit on their Eggs, as moft oviparous Animals do -, for we 

 often find a Brood of young Serpents in old Hedges and Dunghils, 

 and no vifible Sign of a common Pafl"age to and from the Neft. 



XXI. The Elephatitia Serpents are thofe whofe Wounds caft 

 People into a Leprofy or Roughnefs of Skin, like that of an Ele- 

 phant : Hence Leprofy proceeding from inward Diforders, is call'd 

 Elephantia or ElephaJitiaJis, whicli is a cutaneous Difeafe, makes 

 the Skin fcurfy and rough, in Colour refembling that of an Ani- 

 mal, that in Bulk and Intelligence is fuperior to all four-footed 

 Beafts. 



ELEPHyiNTS in India are faid to be about 12 Foot high, 

 and of a Moufe-colour, the Skin not only rough, but hard, fo 

 hard, that it is not penetrable by a Sword ; their Eyes like thofe 

 of Swine; two Teeth hangout beyond the refl-, which are Ivory. 



A MEMORABLE Inftance of this gigantick Creature's Un- 

 derftanding, we had a few Years ago at Neivca/i/e in Staffordfbirey 

 where a Man travellirig with an Elephant for a Show, one Morn- 

 ing condu(5ling that Creature to water, happened to pafs by a 

 Taylor's Shop, that was working at an open Window, and fo 

 -^ near it, that the Taylor had the Courage to prick him with his 

 Needle: The Beaft did not then feem to refent the Affront, but 

 ■when he returned from the Water, which he having artfully 

 muddled, took into his Trunk ; as he came back by the Taylor's 

 Window, fpouted it in his Face, which very much difobliged a 

 Piece of Scarlet-cloth on his Table. 



That Elephants are fubjedt to Wrath and Revenge, is evi- 

 dent from other Inllances: e.g. We read of an Elephant, that 

 6 when 



