APPENDIX. 201 



fcripture, though never defcribed, farther than that he cm- 

 not be charmed fo as to do no hurt, nor trained foas to de- 

 light in mufic; which all travellers who have been in Egypt 

 know is exceedingly poffible, and frequently feen. " For, 

 behold, I will fend bafilifcs among you, faith the fcripture, 

 which will not be charmed, and they mall bite you, faith the 

 Lordf". And:): "Thoufhalt treaduponthelionand bafilifc || &c. 



I shall mention one name more, under which- the Ce- 

 raftes goes, becaufe it is equivocal, and has been mifunder- 

 ftood in fcripture, that is Tfeboa, which name is given it 

 in the Hebrew, from its different colours and fpots. And 

 hence the Greeks § have called it by the name of Hysena, 

 becaufe it Is of the fame reddifti colour, marked with 

 black fpots as that quadruped is. And the fame fable is ap- 

 plied to the ferpent and quadruped, that they change their 

 fex yearly. 



Some philofophers, from particular fyftem, have judged 

 from a certain difpofition of this animal's fcales, that it is 

 what they term, Coluber, while others, from fome arrange- 

 ment of the fcales of its tail, will have it to be what they call 

 Boa. I enter not into the difpute, it is here as faithfully 

 reprefented as the fuze will permit, only I mall obferve that, 



unlefs 



j* Jerem. chap. viii. ver. 17; J Bfalm ix. ver. 13. 



|} It is to be obferved here, it is the Greek, text that calls it Bafilifc. The Hebrew fer 

 the raoft part calls it Tfepha, which are a fpecies of ferpents real and known. Our Eng- 

 lifh tranflation, very improperly, renders it Cockatrice ; a fabulous animal, that never did 

 exift. I mail only further obferve, that the bafilifc, in fcripture, would feem to be a 

 fnake, not a viper, as there are frequent mention made of their eggs, as in Ifaiah, chap. lix. 

 ver. 5. whereas, it is known to be the charade riftic of the viper to bring forth living 

 young. § Elian, Hift. lib. i. cap. 25. Horia. hieroglyph, lib. ii. chap.. 65. 



