S E R 
joints muft undoubtedly give the back-bone a fur- 
'prifing degree of pliaiicy; but this is ftill farther 
Increafed by the manner in which each one of 
thefe joints is locked into another. With refpedl 
to men and quadrupeds, the flat furfaces of the 
bones are laid againft each other, and clofely 
bound by finews ; but, as to Serpents, the bones 
play one within the other like ball and focket, fo 
that they have full motion on each other in every 
dire6tion. 
But though the number of joints in the back- 
bone of the Snake is fo very confiderable, that of 
the ribs is ftill more fo ; for from the head to the 
vent there are two ribs to every joint, which in all 
amount to two hundred and ninety : thefe ribs are 
fumifhed with four mufcles, which being inferted 
into the head, run along to the end of the tail, and 
give the animal great ftrength and agility in all 
it's motions. The fkin alfo contributes to the 
fame purpofe; being compofed of a number of 
fcales, united to each other by a tranfparent mem- 
branCj which becomes harder as it grows older, 
till the animal changes itj which is generally twice 
in the year. This covering then burfts near the 
head; and the Serpent creeps from it, by an undu- 
latory kind of motion, in a new fkin of more vivid 
beauty than the former: and if the exuvis be then 
viewed, every fcale will be diftin6lly feen, like a 
piece of net-work, larger or fmaller according to 
the proportion of that fpace which they covered. 
The fcales of the Serpent are difpofed with a 
great degree of geometrical neatnefs, for afllfting 
it in it's finous motion. As the edges of the fore- 
mofi fcales He over the extremities of thcfucceed- 
incr; fo thofe edges, when the fcales are ere6ted, 
(which the animal pofTeffes the faculty of elevat- 
ing in feme meafure) catch in the ground, like 
the nails in the wheel of a carriage, and fo pro- 
mote and facilitate the Serpent's progreflive mo- 
tion. The fcales are erefted by means of a mul- 
titude of diftind mufcles wherewith each is fup- 
plied, and one end of which is united in each to 
the middle of the preceding. 
In fome of the Serpent kind, there is the moft 
exad fymmetry in thefe fcales; while in others 
they are more irregularly difpofed: in fome, there 
are larger fcales on the belly, often anfwering to 
the number of ribs; and in others there are no 
fcales v/hatever. On this flight diff'erence Lin- 
nseus has founded his diftinftions of the various 
claflTes of the Serpent tribe ; though nature feems 
to indicate a different arrangement, namely, into 
large and fmall, venomous and innoxious. 
If we compare Serpents with each other, their 
differences are remarkable. Nothing can be more 
remotely fcparated than the great L-iboya of Suri- 
nam, which grows to the length of thirty-fix feet; 
and the little Serpents of the Cape of Good Hope, 
which, though under three inches, are fo very 
numerous as to cover whole defarts. This tribe, 
like that of fifnes, feem to have no bounds pre- 
fcribed to their grov^^th. Their bones are in a 
great meafure cartilaginous, and confequently ca- 
pable of great extenfion : the older, therefore. Ser- 
pents become, the larger they grow; and as they 
are remarkable for longevity, fometimes arrive at 
an enormous fize. 
"We are informed that there are Serpents in the 
ifland of Java which meafure fifty feet in length; 
Carli mentions their growing to upwards of forty 
feet; and there is a {km of one in the Britifh Mu 
fseum that meafures thirty-two feet. A gentlc- 
VoL.IL 
S E R 
man of veracity, who had confiderable pofi^eiTiorts 
in America, afTured Dr. Goldfmith, that thefe 
creatures e:row to an enormous leneth in fome 
parts of that country: in confirmation of which 
aflTertion, he related the following incident. He 
one day fent forth a foldier, accompanied by an 
Indian, to kill wild-foWl for his table. In pur- 
fuing their game, the Indian, who generally went 
foremoft, beginning to tire, flopped in order to 
reft himfelf on the fallen trunk of a tree, as he fup- 
pofed: but jufl as he was about to fit down^ the 
fancied trunk began to move; and the poor fa- 
vage perceiving that he had approached a liboya, 
the largeft of all the Serpent kind, inflantly fell to 
the ground through fear. The foldier, v/ho had 
difcovered the caufe, levelled his piece at the Ser- 
pent's head; and, by a lucky aim, fhot it dead: 
however, he continued to fire till he was con- 
vinced that the animal was really killed; and then 
going up to his companion, who lay motionlefs 
by it's fide, to his unfpeakable aftonifhment, found 
him dead likewife, his death having been occa- 
fioned by the Hidden fright. On his return home^ 
he related what had happened; and the animal, 
being ftripped of it's fkin, meafured no lefs than 
thirty-fix feet. 
In the Eafl Indies alfo thefe Serpents grow to 
an enormous fize; particularly in Java, where we 
are afTured one of them will feize and devour a 
buffalo. But fortunate is it for mankind that the 
rapacity of thefe hideous creatures often proves 
their punifhment; for whenever iny of the Ser- 
pent kind have gorged themfelves, they then be- 
come torpid, and may be approached and deflroyed 
with fafety. Patient of hunger to a furprifing de- 
gree, whenever they have fwallowed their prey^ 
they feem, like furfeited gluttons, unwieldy, ftu- 
pid, helplefs, and fleepy. At fuch times they 
fearch out fome retreat, where they lurk for feve- 
ral days together, and digeft their meal unmo- 
lefted : the weakeft effort would then deflroy them j 
for they can hardly make any refiftance, and are 
equally unfit for flight. The naked Indian him- 
felf is not then afraid to attack them. But, when- 
ever this fleepy interval of indigcflion is ended, 
they iffue from their retreats with famillied appe- 
tites and accumulated terrors ; while every creature 
flies before them. 
Other animals have fome kind of choice in their 
provifion; but Serpents indifcriminately prey on 
all; the bufl^alo, the tiger, and the garelle, are 
equally acceptable. It might be imagined that 
the quills of the porcupine would be fufficient to 
prote6t it; but whatever poffeffes lifeferves to ap- 
peafe the hunger of thefe voracious creatures: por- 
cupines, with all their quills, have frequendy been 
found in their ftomachs when opened ; and they 
have even fometimes been known to devour each 
other. 
A life of favage hoftility in the forefl: prefents 
to the imagination one of the mofi: tremendous 
pi6lures in nature. In thofe parched countries 
where the heat of the fun dries up every brook for 
hundreds of miles in continuity; and what has the 
appearance of a confiderable river during the rainy 
feafon, becomes in fummer one dreary bed of fand ; 
in fuch regions, a lake which never dries, and a 
perennial brook, are by animals in general 
cfleerned the greateft bleifings in nature. VVirh 
refpeft to food, the luxuriant lanclfcape liipplies 
that in fufRcient abundance: it is the want of wa- 
ter they principally wifh to obvia*; and, in- 
? X wardiv 
