Indians make use of a composition, which is called, in Europe, Petro di Cobra, or the Serpent Stone ; and which, applied to the wound, is said to draw out the venom. The composition of this stone, for it is an artificial substance, is kept a secret; and perhaps its effects in extracting the venom may be imaginary nevertheless, it is certain, that it has a power of sticking to the skin, and sucking a part of the blood from the wound. This it may do somewhat in the same manner as we see a tobaccopipe stick to the lips of a man who is smoking: yet still we are ignorant of the manner; and the secret might probably be of some use in medicine. It were to be wished, therefore, that those who go into India would examine into this composition, and give us the result of their inquiries: but I fear that it is not to benefit mankind, that our travellers now go to India.

[The Cerastes, or horned viper, a native of Arabia and Africa, has a pair of curved sharp spines, pointing forwards, and placed immediately above the eyes; giving the animal, an unusual malignity of aspect. The size of this serpent is generally from a foot to fifteen inches in length, the colour pale yellowish-brown, with spots of a deeper hue. Its bite is exceedingly venomous, and it is said to spring to a considerable distance, and attack without provocation those who may happen to be near it. When he inclines to surprise any one who is too far from him, he creeps sideways towards the person, with his head averted, till, judging his distance, he turns suddenly round, springs upon him, and fastens with unerring aim on the part next him.

"A long dissertation, (says Mr. Bruce,) might be written on the incantation or power of charming serpents, so as to render them harmless. There is no doubt of its reality: the Scriptures are full of it: all that have been in Egypt have seen as many different instances as they chose. Some have doubted that it was a trick, and that the animals so handled had been first trained, and then disarmed of their power of hurting; and, fond of the discovery, they have rested themselves upon it. But I will not hesitate to aver, that I have seen at Cairo, and this may be seen daily without trouble or expense, a man who came from above the catacombs, where the pits of the mummy-birds are kept, who has taken a Cerastes, with his naked hands, from a number of others lying at the bottom of a tub, has put it upon his bare head, and covered it with the common red cap he wears; then taken it out, put it in his breast, and tied it about his neck like a necklace; after which it has been applied to a hen and bit it, which has died in a few minutes and to complete the experiment, the man has taken it by the neck, and, beginning at the tail, has eat it, as one would eat a carrot or stick of celery, without any seeming repugnance."]

CHAP. X.

Of Serpents without Venom.

THE class of serpents without poison, may be distinguished from those that are venomous, by their wanting the fang teeth their heads also are not so thick in proportion to their bodies; and, in general, they taper off to the tail more gradually in a point. But, notwithstanding their being destitute of venom, they do not cease to be formidable: some grow to a size by which they become the most powerful animals of the forest; and even the smallest and most harmless of this slender tribe find protection from the similitude of their form.

The fangs make the great distinction among serpents; and all this tribe are without them. Their teeth are short, numerous, and, in the smaller kinds, perfectly inoffensive: they lie in either jaw, as in frogs and fishes, their points bending backwards, the better to secure their prey. They want that artificial mechanism by which the poisonous tribe inflict such deadly wounds: they have no gland in the head for preparing venom; no conduits for conveying it to the teeth; no receptacles there: no hollow in the instrument that inflicts the wound. Their bite, when the teeth happen to be large enough to penetrate the skin, (for in general they are too small for this purpose,) is attended with no other symptoms

than those of an ordinary puncture; and many of this tribe, as if sensible of their own impotence cannot be provoked to bite, though never so rudely assaulted. They hiss, dart out their forky tongues, erect themselves on the tail, and call up all their terrors to intimidate their aggressors; but seem to consider their teeth as unnecessary instruments of defence, and never attempt to use them. Even among the largest of this kind, the teeth are never employed, in the most desperate engagements. When a hare or a bird is caught, the teeth may serve to prevent such small game from escaping; but when a buffalo or a tiger is to be encountered, it is by the strong folds of the body, by the fierce verberations of the tail, that the enemy is destroyed : by thus twining round, and drawing the knot with convulsive energy, this enormous reptile breaks every bone in the quadruped's body, and then, at one morsel, devours its prey.

From hence we may distinguish the unvenomous tribe into two kinds: first, into those which are seldom found of any considerable magnitude, and that never offend animals larger or more powerful than themselves, but which find their chief protection in flight, or in the doubtfulness of their form; secondly, into such as grow to an enormous size, fear no enemy, but indiscriminately attack all other animals and devour them. Of the first kind is the Common Black Snake, the Blind Worm, the Esculapian Serpent, the Amphisbæna, and several others. Of the second, the Liboya, the Boiguacu, the Depona, and the Boiquatrara.

The Black Snake is the largest of English serpents, sometimes exceeding four feet in length. The

neck is slender; the middle of the body thick; the back and sides covered with small scales; the belly with oblong, narrow, transverse plates: the colour of the back and sides are of a dusky brown; the middle of the back marked with two rows of small black spots, running from the head to the tail; the plates on the belly are dusky; the scales on the sides are of a bluish white: the teeth are small and serrated, lying on each of the jaws in two rows. The whole species is perfectly inoffensive; taking shelter in dung-hills, and among bushes in moist places; from whence they seldom remove, unless in the midst of the day, in summer, when they are called out by the heat to bask themselves in the sun. disturbed or attacked, they move away among the brambles with great swiftness; but if too closely pursued, they hiss and threaten, and thus render themselves formidable, though incapable of offending.

If

The black snake preys upon frogs, insects, worms, mice, and young birds; and, considering the smallness of the neck, it is amazing how large an animal it will swallow. The black snake of Virginia, which is larger than ours, and generally grows to six feet long, takes a prey proportionable to its size; partridges, chickens, and young ducks. It is generally found in the neighbourhood of the hen-roost, and will devour the eggs even while the hen is sitting upon them: these it swallows whole; and often, after it has done the mischief, will coil itself round in the nest.

The whole of this tribe are oviparous, excluding eighty or a hundred eggs at a time, which are laid in dung-hills or hot-beds; the heat of which, aided