125 A NATURAL HISTORY 



XCV. The Horn-Snake, very venemous, hiffes exadlly like a 

 Goofe, upon any body's Approach. Serpents of this Clafs ftrike 

 at the Enemy with their Tail, which is arm'd at the end with a 

 horny Subftance, like a Cock-Spur, that kills whatever is vi'ounded 

 with it. 'Tis faid, that in Virginia^ they only fhoot their Tongues, 

 and ihake them at the Enemy *, 



XCVI. The Hydriis, Matrix, or Water-Snake, of thefe are 

 various forts, and all in fome degree amphibious. When the 

 Coluber Aquaticus wounds any, 'tis attended with a moft difagree- 

 able Odour, and fo ftrong, that it forbids a near Approach to 

 the unhappy Sufferer, who immediately falls into a Tremor and 

 DiftracSion, and foon expires (the third day, fays JElian) without 

 timely ReUef -f-. 



Its common Refidence is in fhallow Waters, and when they 

 are dried up, it goes upon dry Ground, where its Wound is 

 more dangerous than in Water : But more of this elfewhere. 



XCVII. In that Country they have what they call S'wamp- 

 Snakes ; three forts of which are near a-kin to the Water-Snakes, 

 and may be rank'd among them. The Belly of the firft is of the 

 carnation Colour, the Back is dark: the next, which is of a brown 

 Colour, always abides in the Marfhes : the third is of a motley 

 Colour, and very poifonous. 



They dwell on the fides of Swamps, i. e. Bogs, Marfl:;es, 

 and Ponds, have a prodigious large Mouth, and they arrive to 

 the thicknefs of the Calf of a Man's Leg. Among thefe I place 

 the black Truncheoti-Snakes, that live on the Banks of Rivers, 

 which, when difturbed, fhoot into the Water, like an Arrow 

 out of a Bow. I fancy the Name is borrow'd from a certain 

 Weapon call'd Truncheon, which we call Battoon, or TipftafF, 

 ■of a cylindrical form, ufed by principal Officers of State, Gene- 

 rals, and fometimes by Conftables, when they go upon fecret 

 Expeditions. 



XCVIII. The Red-belly-Snake, this is fo called from its ruddy 

 Colour, which inclines to an Orange-red. Of thefe are two forts; 



one, 



* Loibthorp. vol. ii% p. 599. t /Eiav. lib. iv. cap- 57. Aecefjio GjIlH.-^ 



