of OXFO%T>'S HI%E. 187 
Cochlea terrt§lri6o{ this figure, but gives no cut of it. 
35. Of other Pupils we have little to fay, but that in the 
Lordfiipo^ Blechington^ and 2i\\t\it more Northern parts of Ox- 
ford-JInre^ no Snakes have been ever or very rarely feen, in fo 
much that I met with fcveral ancient people about Deddington and 
Banbury that fcarce ever faw a Snake in their lives, at leaft not 
in that Co«;2^r;. And zt Blechingt on confidently believed, 
that a SnakehroMg\\l from any other place, and put down there, 
would inftantly die, till I made the experiment md. found no fuch 
matter : Whereupon I got leave (in the abfence of the Family') 
to inclofe my Snake in the Courts before the Right Honorable the 
Lord Anglefefs houfe, to fee what time would produce, lea- 
ving the Gardiner in truft to obfcrve it ftridly, who found it in- 
deed, after three weeks time dead-, without any fenfible external 
hurt. 
36. How this ftiould come to pafs, is a queftion indeed not 
eafie to determin, but certainly it muft not be afcribed to the Ta- 
lifmanical figure of the (lone Ophiomorphites to be found about Ad~ 
derbury, and in moik blue clays^ whereof there are plenty in this 
Country. Since thefc are to be met with about Oxford too, and 
many other places, where there are Snakes enough. Befidc, we 
are informed by Cardan\ that Albertu^ Magnus had a ffcone, that 
being naturally mark'd with the figure of a Serpent^ had this no 
lefs admirable than contrary virtue^ that if it were put into a 
place that was haunted with Serpents^ it would draw them all to 
it. Much rather may we fubfcribe to the caufe afTigned by Pliny \ 
who feems confidently to alTert, that the earth that is brackiflj^ 
and ftandeth much upon Salt-peter^ is freer from vermin than any 
other. To which we may add (if need be) Sulphur and Vitri- 
ol., whereof there is plenty in thefe parts of the County ; but whe- 
ther by one^ two, or all thefe, though we dare not pronounce, yet 
that it is caufed by fome fuch mineral fleam difagreeable to the 
Animal^ I think we may be confident. 
3 7. Amongft the inhabitants of the Earthy come we next to 
the Quadrupeda^ whereof fome are (otovwvwp^, whole- hooft, fuch 
as Ajfes^ Mulcs^ //o;ye^,of which laftkind I met with three remark- 
able for their ; one zt Souldern^ another 2it S her bourn ^ and a 
third at Aflcn Rcwant^ each reported to be about foity years old 
i De Sukititate, Hi. 7. « Nat. Hip. lib- 17. cap. 4. 
A a 2 apiece. 
