LECTURE VI. 231 



most probable that the Egyptians held several 

 different species of this genus in nearly equal 

 veneration. 



Herodotus tells us he was assured that the 

 Eg}^tians were annually invaded by swarms of 

 small flying serpents, which were attacked, con- 

 quered, and killed by the Ibis, which on this 

 account was revered by the Egyptians. He 

 adds that he had been shewn heaps of the bones 

 of these serpents near the confines of the de- 

 serts. As to the winged serpents, we well 

 know that no such animals are now discoverable; 

 and it is not very probable that any such have 

 ever existed. The animal called the Dragon 

 indeed, or the Flying-Lizard might be adduced 

 as in some degree justifying such an idea; but 

 the Dragon is a harmless animal, whereas the 

 Flying-Serpents mentioned by Herodotus are sup- 

 posed to have been highly poisonous. An in- 

 genious French author. Monsieur Savigny, so far 

 from supposing any natural antipath}^ to exist be- 

 between the Ibis and the serpent tribe, imagines 

 that neither the Egyptian Ibis nor any other of 

 the genus feed on such reptiles, being by no means 

 calculated for such a kind of food, but that the 



