Mr. Ray to Dr. Robitifon. 143 



bought at Rome by Sir Philip Skippon of a Man that 

 brought them about to fell : It was very gentle and 

 innoxious, and I fuppofe the Anguis Mfculapiiy but 

 I defcribed it not. After a while it efcaped out of 

 the Box wherein we kept it, and hid it felf that we 

 could find it no more. 



• Befides thefe I have mentioned, I doubt not but 

 there are divers Species of European and African Ser- 

 pents-, but know little of them of Certainty which 

 we may confide in, but their Names. Of the Ame- 

 rican Serpents defcribed by Pifo^ Marcgrave, and Her* 

 nandez, we have more Affurance y among which the 

 Rattle- Snake^ whofe Exuviae are common in Mufceums^ 

 is moft noted and beft known. 



Since my laft, viewing the MoJJes growing about 

 my Houfe, to fee whether they were as yet come to 

 the Head, I found fome of them were * of which I 

 obferved no lefs than four Sorts of fuch as Dr. Pluke* 

 net and Mr. Doody call Mufti Jricboides, but Herba- 

 rifts generally Adiantha^ or Polytricha aurea^ two 

 with ereffc Heads, and three with Reflex, befides one 

 which was not come yet to the Head * fo that I have 

 already difcovered fix Species growing upon my own 

 Houfe. 



Meeting Yefterday with Mr. Dale^ and examining 

 him about Serpents^ he confidently affirm 'd to me, 

 that he had twice feen the Atnphisbgna in this Coun- 

 trey, and named the Places : Not that there is any 

 Serpent that hath two Heads, or a Head at each End, 

 but only that it hath a Faculty of going backward 

 as well as forward 3 and the Tail is turrit, and fome- 

 what refembles a Head. I confefe I did formerly di* 

 ftruft the very Being of an Amphisbgna $ but confix 

 dering that Worms, and fome Eruc^ can, and do 

 move nimbly backward and forward, I fee no Reafon 

 but fome Serpents may do fo too, and we have pretty 

 good Authority that there are fuch. I was a little 



I i 4 ftaggcr'd 



