SER 
a female of this fpecies; fome of which wei-e in- 
cluded in membranes, and others loofe. 
The bite of the Seps is faid to occafion an ih- 
ftant putrefaftion of the whole frame. 
SERASS. A bird, fuppofed to be of* the fame 
genus with the colum, which migrates yearly from 
Mount Caucafus to Surat in the Eaft Indies, It 
is diftinguilhed by a plication of the afperia ar- 
teria, which is intended to aiifwer fimilar pur- 
pofes with that of the colum. 
SERINUS. A bird belonging to the fringilla 
genuSy in the Linnsean fyftem; common in Italy 
and Germany, arid called by the Auftrians haern- 
gril, or hirngryl. -The back is of a reddifh brown 
hue, and the head yellow j the colour being deeper 
in the male, and lighter in the female. The rump 
is of a beautiful yellowifh green colour, as alfo 
'^rhe breaft; the belly is white; the fides are orna- 
mented with fome oblong blackilh fpots ; the tail 
jind long feathers of the wings are black, with a 
flight tinge of green at their extremities] and the 
beak is very thick, ftrong, and flhort. 
This bird is ufually caged for the fake of it's 
voice, which is very melodious. 
SERPENTS. In the Linn^ean fyftem, an or- 
der of animals belonging to the clafs of amphi- 
bia, and comprehending fix genera: the crotalus, 
or rattle-fnake; the boa, or ferpcnt, including ten 
fpecies ; the coluber, or viper; the anguis, or 
lhake; the amphilbsna, or annulated fnake; and 
the cjecilia, or tentaculated fnake, the body and 
tail of which are wrinkled without fcales, and the 
Upper lip is furnifhed with two feelers j of which 
there are two fpecies. 
The fubfequent are the Linnsean chafaftcrs of 
the Serpent tribe: they are amphibious; breathe 
through the mouth by means of lungS only; and 
are deftitute of feet, ears, and fins. 
There is fcarcely any one country that does not 
produce this poifonous brood, which feems formed 
to deftroy the pride of mankind, and reprefs their 
boafted fecurity. Men have driven the lion, the 
tiger, and the wolf, from their vicinity; but the 
fnake and the viper ftill defy their power, and 
frequently punifh their infolence. 
Human afliduity, however, has been exerted 
with fuccefs in thinning their numbers; and it is 
probable that fome of the fpecies are now wholly 
deftroyed. In none of the European countries 
are they fufficiently numerous to be truly formi- 
dable: the philofbpher can meditate in the fields 
without danger, and the botanift explore the grafs 
without apprehenfion of their malignity. In this 
quarter of the v/orld there are not more than three 
or four kinds which are noxious; and their poi- 
fon operates in all after a fimilar manner: a burn- 
ing pain in the part, eafily removed by early ap- 
plications, is the worft effedt that can be expe- 
rienced from the bite of the moft venomous Ser- 
pents of Europe. The drowfy death, the darting 
of the blood from every pore, the infariable and 
fcorching thirft, and the diflblution of the folid 
mafs into one heap of putridity; are horrors 
which we know only from the hiftory of anti- 
quity, or the relations of travellers in very diftant 
regions. 
But though we have thus reduced thefe dan- 
gerous creatures, without a poITibility of wholly 
removing them; in other parts of the world they 
ftill rage with all their ancient malignity. Na- 
ture feems to have placed them as centinels to de- 
^er mankinci &om a too hafty difFufion, and 
SER 
fearching for new abodes befoi-e they have per'> 
fe6lly cultivated thofe at home. In the wanrl 
countries which lie within the tropics, as well as 
in the hyperborean regions, where the inhabitants 
are few, Serpenrs propagate in equal propor-k 
tions. But, of all countries, thofe are moft peftered 
with thefe noxious animals whofe fields are proli- 
fic, but uncultivated, and where the climate fup- 
plies warmth and humidity. Along the fwampy 
banks of the Niger and Oroonoko, where the 
fun darts his moft vivifying rays, the forefts are 
thick, and the human race but fcafity. Serpents 
cling to the branches of the trees in infinite num- 
bers, and carry ort unceafing hoftilities againft all 
other atiimals in their vicinity. Travellers aflfure 
us, that they have often obferved large fnakes 
twining round the trunk of a tall tree, encom- 
pafling it like a wreath, and thus rifing and de- 
fcending at pleafure: in thefe countries, there- 
fore, Serpents are too formidable to become ob- 
je(5ls of curiofity; they excite more violent fenfa- 
tions. 
For this reafon we mtift not reject, as wholly- 
fabulous, the accounts tranfmitted us by the an- 
cients of the terrible devaftations occafioned by a 
firigle fnake. In early ages, when arts were lit- 
tle known, and mankind but thinly difperfed over 
the face of the earth, it is probable that Ser- 
pents grew to an amazing magnitude, and every 
other tribe of animals retired before them. It 
might then have happened, that thefe reptiles con- 
tinued the tyrants of a whole country for fuccef- 
five centuries. To an animal of this kind, growrt 
by time and rapacitv to the enormous length of 
one hundred. feeC, the lion, the tiger, and even 
the elephant, were but feeble op'ponents. The 
dreadful monfter fpread certain defolation around 
him; every living creature was either devoured by 
him, or fled from the effedls of his fury. The 
horrid ftench which even the moft innoxious of 
the tribe are known to diffufc, might in thofe 
larger ones become too powerful for any animal 
to v/ithftand; and while they preyed without di-^ 
ftindtion, they might thus alfo have poifoned the 
atmofphere around them. In this manner having 
for ages polft-fTed the obfcure and uninhabited fo- 
refts; and finding, as their appetites increafed, the 
quantity of their food diminiftied; it is poffible 
that they might venture boldly from their retreats 
into the more cultivated parts of the country, car- 
rying confternation among mankind, as they had 
before defolation among the lower ranks of nature. 
Many hiftories of antiquity prefent us with fuch 
a pifture; and exhibit a whole nation as finking 
under the ravages of a fingle Serpent. At that 
early period, man had not learned the art of unit- 
ing the efforts of many, in order to effeft one mo- 
mentous purpofe: oppofing multitudes only ad- 
ded new viftims to the general calamity, and en- 
creafed mutual embarraffment and terror; the 
animal therefore remained to be fingly oppofed by 
him who had the greateft ftrength, the beft ar- 
mour, and the moft undaunted courage. In fuch 
an encounter hundreds muft have fallen; till one 
more fortunate than the reft, either by a lucky 
blow, or by attacking the monfter during jbme 
torpid interval, and furcharged with fpoil, mighf 
deftroy, and thus deliver his country from the ty- 
rant. 
Such was the original and mofl; honourable oc- 
cupation of heroes: and they wlio firft obtained 
that appellation from their deftroying thofe ra- 
va^ers 
