LETTERS. 431 
to Secretary Elvius. I know not how far this a- 
ble Mathematician is inclined to this fyftem ; but 
I am almoft affured, that thofe who have l'een the 
proofs of the decreafe of the water, which I have 
obferved on my travels, cannot avoid being con- 
firmed in this remarkable hypothefis, which you 
and the late Profeflor Celfius laid before the 
public with obfervations. I have at prefent the 
honour to fend you a collection, fingular in its 
kind, like the country from which it is fent. It 
confitts of Serpents and Lizards , terrible animals, 
and the proper native productions of Egypt - 
which can oniy pleafe thofe who ftudy and know 
Nature. I have not forgot with what care you bid 
me get fome knowledge of the Iiamorrhois, Dipfas> 
Afpis , Seps, See. of the ancients, of which we know 
nothing •, but lament, that notwithftanding all the 
pains ftook, to get fome information about thefe 
terrible animals of the ancients, I have not fuc- 
ceeded with more than Seps and Afpis, which ac- 
cording to the information I got, are one and the 
fame ferpent. The account is this : on the ifland 
of Cyprus, there is a ferpent by the modern Greeks 
called ao-rrtx, it is fhort, feldom above a foot long, 
but of an difproportioned thicknefs, fometimes as 
thick as a man’s arm. The poifon of this is the 
moft terrible of any known in the Eaft. When a 
man is bit by it he falls into a (lumber, by de- 
grees changed into profound deep, which within 
twenty tour hours becomes eternal, without any 
violent fymptoms or other figns of death, than 
that the pulfe grows weak by degrees, and the 
whole body becomes of a blackifh yellow colour 
in a moment, and within the next twenty four 
hours, rots as if affeCted with a gangrene. 
A a 4 
Do 
