1797-1 
the Hiffory of Bragzwell ; while the tears 
that involuntarily flow ttpon reading the 
Shepherd of Salifoury plain, atteft the ten- 
dernefs of the narrative, and the fupe- 
riority of that excellence which it details. 
—To thofe, who being firangers to the 
plan and its execution, prejudge thefe en- 
comiums as extravagant, E can only re- 
commend a perfonal infpection: a few, 
poffibly, may be found willing to amufe 
themfelves in the fearch after blemithes ; 
but, I believe, a refpettable majority will 
eontribute their warm approbation. To 
fuch, with due deference, I fubmit the 
propriety of furnifhing themfelves with 
thefe tracts, as they are publithed ; from 
the afortment, when formed into a vo- 
lume, the proprietor may fele& fuch as 
he deems it moft eligible to difperfe or 
recommend.—Sure I am, that all the 
virtuous, who efteem this plan eminently 
calculated to ameliorate the morals of the 
poorer claffes, ought candidly to hear, 
and freely to communicate, whatever 
tends to fecure it publicity and favour. 
If this contributory mite obtain accept- 
ance, the pen of far abler patrons will be 
employed, I truft, im the fame caufe, and 
their productions appear in the fame Mif- 
eellany. I remain, fir, ff 
Dec. $1; Your’s, refpeétfully, 
1796. THEOLOGUS. 

Fo the Editor of tbe Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, | ; ‘ 
| the additional volumes of the Fravels 
of Le VALLIANT into Africa, appear 
fome very ftriking facts relative to the 
fafcinating power of ferpents. Two of 
them are authenticated om the evidence of 
the author himfelf, and the other 1s fanc 
tioned by his belief in the veracity of the 
relator. : i 
The bafilifk of the ancients, the rattle- 
fnake, 8c. have been adduced as inftances 
of animals who poffefs the power of kiil- 
img by their lock. The power in the 
former has been, perhaps prematurely, 
treated as a fabie—that of the latter has 
been better, though vaguely, afcertained, 
but the fac has not been implicitly relied 
an by our naturalifts. The teftimony, 
however, of fo refpectable a traveller as 
Le Valliant, leaves it no longer in doubr, 
and Phyfiologifts have now before them 
the curious queftion to determine, as far 
as poflible, relative to the caufe of this 
extraordinary property in ferpents. 
The fubjeét is altogether fo novel and 
wonderful, that it deferves the ferious 
attention of the learned correfpondents of 
Lafeinating Power of Serpents. 
tS 
your Magazine. Le Valliant fuppofes the 
effect may be produced by a power fome- 
what like that of eleétricity, as poffeffed 
by the torpedo and the ele€trical eel of 
Surinam. ‘TPhis opinion may deferve con- 
fideration ; it does not, however, account 
for an effect produced without actuak 
contact. 
The inftances produced by Le Valliant 
are briefly as follows : 
FIRST INSTANCE. 
6¢ One day, in one of our excurfions in hunts 
ing, we perceived a motion in the branches o# 
one of the trees. Immediately we heard the 
piercing cries of a fhrike, and {aw it tremble as 
if in convulfions, We fifi conceived that it was - 
held in the gripe of fome bird of prey; buta 
clofer attention led us to di‘cover upon the next 
branch of the tree, a large ferpent, that witly 
ftretched out neck,.and fiery eyes, though per- 
fely fill, was gazing at the poor animal. The 
agony of the bird was terrible ; but fear had 
deprived it of ftrength, and, as if tied by the leg, 
it feemed to have loft the power of flight. One 
of the company ran fora fufee; but before he 
returned, the fhrike was dead, and we only fhot 
the ferpent. Irequefted that the diftance be- 
tween the place where the bird had. expe- 
rienced the convulfions, and that occupied by 
the ferpent might be meafured. Upon doing 
fo, we found it to be three feet and a half, and 
we were all convinced that the fhrike had died 
neither from the bite, nor the poifon of its 
enemy. I {tripped it alo before the whole com> 
pany, and made them obferve,. that it was un-= 
touched, and had not received the flightett 
wound.” 
SECOND INSTANCE, 
_ © Hunting one day, in a marfhy piece of 
ground, I heard, all at once, ina tuft of reeds, a 
piercing and very lamentable cry. Anxious to 
know what it was, I ftole foftly to the place, 
where I perceived a {mall moufe, like the fhrike 
on the tree, in agonizing convulfions, and two 
yards farther a ferpent, whofe cyes were intently 
fixed upon it, The moment the reptile faw me, 
it glided away ; but the bufimefs was done. 
Upon taking up the moufe, it expired in my 
hand, without its being poffible for me to dif- 
cover, by the moft attentive examination, what 
had -occafioned its death.’’ 
THIRD BNSTANCE. 
“The Hottentots, whom I confulted upon this 
meident,. expreffed no fort of aftonifhment. No- 
thing, they fard, was more common ;, the ferpent 
had the faculty of attracting and fafcinating {uch * 
animals as it wifhed to devour. I had then ro 
faith in uch power: but fame time after, fpeak- 
ing of the circumftance ina company of more 
than twenty perfons, in the number of whom: 
was Colonel Gordon ; a captain of his regiment 
confirmed the account of the Hottentots, and 
affured me it was an event which happened very 
frequently. My teftimony,’ added he, ‘ought 
ko. have the more weight, as Thad once nearly 
become 
