284 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



of a very common animal. Here is an extract from the same 

 essay, which is very curious : — 



Eph. — I saw once a very large and charming green Lizard fighting 

 with a Serpent, at the entrance of a hole ; I wondered at first what 

 was the Meaning of it, for I could not see the Serpent ; an Italien told 

 me that the Serpent was within ; by and by the Lizard comes to us, 

 as it were showing us her Wounds, and begging a Kemedy, and did 

 not only suffer herself to be touch'd, but as often as we stood still 

 she stood still, viewing us very earnestly. The Serpent had almost 

 gnawed away one of her sides, and of green had made it red. 



J oli. — Had I been there, I should have had a Mind to avenge the 

 Lizard's Quarrel. 



Eph. — But her Enemy had hid herself at the bottom of the Hole : 

 But some Days after we had the Pleasure to see her revenge herself. 



Joh. — I am glad at my Heart ; but prithee how was it ? 



Eph. — We happened to be walking near the same Place, and the 

 Serpent had been drinking at a spring hard by, for it was so violent 

 hot Weather, that we were like to perish with Thirst. A Boy of about 

 thirteen Years old, the Man's Son where we lodg'd, having fled from 

 Bononia for Fear of the Pestilence, happen'd very luckily to come by, 

 with a Hay-Rake upon his Shoulder; as soon as he saw the Serpent 

 he cries out. 



Joh. — Perhaps for Fear. 



Eph. — No, for joy, rejoicing that he had found the Enemy. The 

 Boy strikes him with the Eake, the Serpent rolls himself up ; but he 

 laid on, till having broke his Head, the Serpent stretched himself out, 

 which they never do, but when they are dying ; that's the Reason that 

 you have heard the Apologist, concerning a Crab-Fish, who killing a 

 Serpent that was his Enemy, when he saw him stretch'd out, says 

 thus, You ought to have gone so when you were alive. 



We have here a statement about a dying serpent (Adder) that 

 is very suggestive. Whether the " stretching out " action is 

 purely a muscular one, or one due to conscious volition — on the 

 " feigning death " principle — I am not prepared to say ; but this 

 I do know, that some Adders act in that way if violently struck 

 on the head. A good many years ago, when walking across 

 Arran from Brodick to Loch Kanza, I and two friends (both 

 still alive) encountered many Adders sunning themselves on the 

 roads and roadsides, the weather being extremely hot. Several 

 of these I " poked up " gently with my stick, and pitched into 



