OF SERPENTS. 103 



After fwallowing it down, it generally falls afleep, and in that 

 Pofture is frequently taken, while digefting its Supper, My Au- 

 thor fays, he faw one of this kind, which was 30 Foot long, of 

 a greyifh Colour, but others incline more to the brown *. A 

 ravenous Animal, and fo voracious, that it leaps out of the 

 Woods to feize its Prey ; and, if difturb'd, will fight, or wreflle, 

 with Man or Beaft, ftanding upright upon the Butt-end of his 

 Tail. 



XXXVII. The Jararaka Serpent, Is another Brafilian, no 

 longer than a Man's Arm to the Elbow ; it has fwelling Veins 

 on its Head ; the Skin is covered with red and black Spots; the 

 reft is of an Earth Colour : Its Wounds are dangerous, and attend- 

 ed with the ufual Symptoms, There are three Sorts of thefe ve- 

 nemous Snakes befides this, viz. One fort is about ten Spans long, 

 with two terrible Tulks, or great Teeth, which they ftretch out 

 to a great length, and ftrike them into their Prey, The vene- 

 mous Liquid, which is very yellow, works with a Violence, that 

 kills in a few Hours. T)\t j'scond fort refembles the SpaniJJj Viper 

 in Colour and Form, and is equally dangerous. The third and. 

 worft fort very much refembles ihc Jirji. 



XXXVIII. The Biobi, called Gabro Verde by the Portuguefe 

 in Brafil, i. e. the Green Serpent,hcca.u{e its Colour is porraceous, , 

 a fliining Green like the Leek j it is between three and four Foot 

 long, and about the Thicknefs of a Man's Thumb 5 a large 

 Mouth, and black Tongue, and has this good Property, that it 

 hurts nobody unlefs irritated; but when provoked, no Poifon 

 more dangerous. We read of a Soldier, who accidentally tread-^- 

 ing on this Serpent, was wounded by it in the Thigh, and died a 

 few Hours after, tho' the Remedies that proved fuccefsfui on the. 

 like occafions, had been diligently applied -|~,. 



XXXIX. The Caninana Serpent, is another Inhabitant of 

 Brafil, green on the back, and yellow on the Belly, about two 

 Foot long, and reckoned not to be fo venemous, as the reft of 

 that mifchievous Tribe. It feeds upon Eggs and Birds, at laft be- 

 comes the common Entertainment of the American and African 



Tables^ 



* Nieuhoff. in Atl. America. ^.l6'^. t Rati Sjfiopjis, p, 528. 



