OF SERPENTS, 
245 
CHAP. XXXIV. 
Of Serpents — Of the venomous kind — The Viper — The 
Rattle-snake — The Whip-snake — The Asp — The Jacu- 
lus — The Hcemorrhois — The Seps — The Coral Snake — 
The Cobra-capella — Serpents without venom — The 
Ringed Snake — The Blind Worm — The Amphishcenu — 
The Esculapian — The Boyuna — The Surinam Ser- 
pent — The Prince of Serpents — The Gerenda—The 
Jiboya — The Boiguacu — The Depona. 
In none of the countries of Europe is the serpent tribe 
sufficiently numerous to be truly terrible. The venomous 
malignity also that has been ascribed to European serpents 
of old, is now utterly unknown ; there are not above three 
or four kinds that are dangerous, and the poison of all 
operates in the same manner. A burning pain in the part, 
easily removeable by timely applications, is the worst effect 
that we experience from the bite of the most venomous 
serpents of Europe. 
Though, however, Europe be happily delivered from these 
reptiles, in the warm countries that lie within the tropics, as 
well as in the cold regions of the north, where the inhabit- 
ants are few, theserpents propagate in equal proportion. All 
along the swampy banks of the river Niger or Oroonoko, 
where the sun is hot, the forests thick, and the men but few, 
the serpents cling among the branches of the trees in infinite 
numbers, and carry on an unceasing war against all other 
animals in their vicinity. Travellers have assured us, that 
they have often seen large snakes twining round the trunk 
of a tall tree, encompassing it like a wreath, and thus 
'ising and descending at pleasure. In these countries, 
therefore, the serpent is too formidable to become an object 
of curiosity, for it excites much more violent sensations. 
We are not, therefore, to reject, as wholly fabulous, the 
a ccounts left us by the ancients of the terrible devastations 
committed by a single serpent. It is probable, in early times, 
w hen the arts were little known, and mankind were but 
thinly scattered over the earth, that serpents, continuing 
undisturbed possessors of the forest, grew to an amazing 
’uagnitude ; and every other tribe of animals fell before 
diem. We have many histories of antiquity, presenting us 
s ucli a picture; and exhibiting a whole nation sinking 
under the ravages of a single serpent. We are told, that 
