ON SNAKES. 



275 



I was once put to my wit's end, as to whether 

 the snake before me was armed with poison-fangs 

 or not. It lay reposing on the branch of a bush 

 about four feet or so from the ground, and was of 

 marvellous beauty. It shewed a vivid green 

 throughout the whole of its body which was 

 chequered with markings of ivory white. This 

 puzzled me much ; and for the life of me, I could 

 not pronounce, whether it were of good or of evil 

 parentage. So I laid hold of it with all possible 

 caution. It proved to be eight feet long, and 

 venomous. 



Confiding in the notion that snakes never use 

 their poison-fangs, except when driven to extre- 

 mities, I would rove in the forests, day after day, 

 without shoes or stockings, and never consider 

 myself in danger from them. 



Perhaps no part of the known world, not even 

 the wooded swamps of Senegal in Africa, produces 

 such a show of magnificent serpents, as the region 

 of South America, extending from the river 

 Amazons to the Orinoco. This region I have 

 explored with uncommon pleasure, care, and satis- 

 faction ; and did inclination incite me, I could 

 produce many volumes of amusement and instruc- 

 tion on its zoological treasures. 0 ! the beauty, the 

 grandeur, the innocence and supposed malignity 



Y 2 



