Reptiles. 
297 
CHAPTER XIII. 
Of English Reptiles, Harrison writes, in his description 
of Britain, prefixed to Holinshed’s Chronicle :— Reptiles. 
“ First of all we have the adder, in our old Saxon toong called an 
atter, which some men doo not rashlie take to be the viper. We have 
also efts, both of the land and water, and likewise the noisome swifts, 
whereof to saie anie more it should be but losse of time, sith they are 
well knowneand no region to my knowledge found to be void of them.” 
(Ilolinshed, vol. i. p. 383.) 
Harrison has no further mention of the snake than in the 
following passage: “ And as we have great store of t'odes 
where adders commonlie are found, so doo frogs abound 
where snakes doo keepe their residence.” 
Drayton describes the gathering of representatives of 
the reptile clans at Xoah’s bidding. From the commen¬ 
dation bestowed on the considerate conduct of the asp 
and little slow-worm, it is probable that the writer had 
some idea that the tooth of a venomous snake could be 
rendered innocuous at will 
“ The salamander to the ark retires, 
To fly the floods it doth forsake the fires; 
The strange camelion comes to augment the crew, 
Yet in the ark doth never change her hue; 
■**•***• 
The watchful dragon comes the ark to keep, 
But lull’d with murmur, gently falls to sleep : 
