80 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



The Teixminani is that kind of ferpent which Pliny 

 calls Jaculum, It is of a long llender form, with a grey- 

 coloured back and a purple belly. It moves always in a 

 flraight line, and never coils, but fprings from the trees 

 upon paffengers, and has thence derived its name {n)^ 

 Thcfe fnakes are to be found in the m.ountains of Quauh- 

 nahuac, and in other hot countries ; but I never knew 

 any inftance of fuch a thing happening to any traveller, 

 although I lived fo many years in that kingdom ; and I 

 can fay the fame thing of the terrible effects afcribed to 

 the Ahueya6lli. 



The Cencoatl (o\ which is alfo a poifonous fnake, is 

 about five feet long, and eight inches round at the thick- 

 efl: part. The mod remarkable quality of this fnake is 

 its (liining in the dark. Thus does the provident Au- 

 thor of nature, by various impreffions on our fenfes, at 

 one time upon our ears by the noife of a rattle, at another 

 time upon our eyes by the impreffions of light, awake 

 our attention to guard againft approaching danger. 



Among the harmlefs fnakes, of which there are feveral 

 kinds, we cannot pafs over the Tzicatlinan^ and the Ma- 

 quizcoatl. The TzicatUnan is very beautiful, about a foot 

 in length, and of the thicknefs of the little finger. It 

 lives always in ant-hills ; and it takes fo much pleafure 

 in being among ants, that it will accompany thefe infe£l:s 

 upon their expeditions, and return with them to their 

 ufual nefl. The Mexican name Tzicatlinan^ fignifies ino- 

 ther of ants^ and that is the name given it by the Spa- 

 niards ; but I fufpe^l that all the attachment which this 



little 



(«) The Mexicans give this fnake the name alfo of Mlcoatl ; the Spaniards 

 that of SiEtllla, both fignifylng the fame thing with tlie 'Jaculum of the Latins. 



0^) There are fome other fpecies of fnakes which having the fame colours 

 with the Cencoatl^ go by the fame name, but they are all of a harmlefs nature. 



