LETTERS. 433 
as it has from time immemorial been carried from 
Egypt to Venice, from whence its preparations are 
fent all over Europe. 
The fecond is a horned viper ( Coluber Ceraftes.) I 
have found two ferpents with horns in Egypt of 
different genus’s, as the one is a fnake, ( Anguis ) 
and the other a viper (Coluber.) As different as they 
are with regard to their genus, fo different are 
they alfo with refpeft to their horns ; thofe of the 
former, are two large teeth, which bore through 
the cranium, fo that their bafis ferves for teeth, 
and the upper pointed parts of them for horns ; 
Whereas thofe of the latter are only two fharp 
points fattened to the head. 
I shall not abfolutely determine which of 
thefe Alpinus means by the name of Ceraftes, of 
which he has given a bad figure, and a worfe de- 
feription. I am apt to believe, that he has them 
both under one name, as they both have horns. It 
was in this manner, that in former times they 
thought it fufficient to reprefent natural beings, by 
giving a figure without any defeription, to draw in 
a ftriking manner, what would excite the curiofity 
of the common people ; for example, a ferpent 
with horns ; fo that no attention was paid to the 
wife inftitutes of nature, before our Linnaeus 
taught us to open our eyes in beholding and dif- 
tinguifhing her with clearnefs and precifion. The 
third is the before mentioned anguis dentibus mola- 
ribus cranium perforantibus. 
I have found a confiderable number of Lizards , 
the other branch of this terrible tribe ; but moil 
of them were known before, except fome few 
fmall ones, which I found in the burning fand in 
the defart: there is noplace wherein fome kind of 
living creature is not appointed to dwell. That 
which 
