at some distance, imagined they should easily catch it in a noose, and meant then to secure it with chains. They advanced at first very courageously, but on a nearer approach, were very much frightened by its furious and terrible aspect they drew near, however, with great caution, and endeavoured to catch its tail in the noose they had prepared, but the moment the serpent felt the rope, it turned about with fury, killing two of the hunters with a stroke of its tail, and causing all the rest to take to flight. The remaining hunters urged on by the prospect of reward, made a new attempt by means of a net, formed of very strong ropes. Taking advan tage of the absence of the serpent from its hole, they stopped up the entrance with stones, and placed their net in the passage. On its return to its hiding place, they suddenly surrounded it at some distance with a number of men, some on horseback, some armed with bows and slings, and others making a great noise with trumpets and other loud instruments. The serpent erecting itself in a menacing posture, terrified the surrounding multitude with its frightful bissings— but, alarmed at the number of its assailants, and by the barking of dogs, and the noise of warlike instruments, it endeavoured to gain its retreat, and fell into the net which was too strong for all its efforts-being thus caught and secured with a number of chains, it was carried to Alex. andria alive, where its natural ferocity was greatly lessened by long fasting.

THE VIPER.

VIPERS are found in many parts of England; but the dry, stony, and, in particular, the chalky countries abound with them. This ani

mal seldom grows to a greater length than two feet; though sometimes they are found above three. The ground colour of their bodies is a dirty yellow; that of the female is deeper. The back is marked the whole length, with a series of square black spots, touching each other at the points; the sides with triangular ones, the belly entirely black. It is chiefly distinguished from the common black snake by the colour, which in the latter is more beautifully mottled, as well as by the head, which is thicker than the body; but particularly by the tail, which, in the viper, though it ends in a point, does not run tapering to so great a length as in the other. When, therefore, other distinctions fail, the difference of the tail can be discerned at a single glance.

When angry, the Viper opens its formidable mouth, armed with poison fangs, and throws out its tongue, composed of two fleshy forked extremities: This tongue is moved with such velocity that it seems even to sparkle. Anciently the tongue of the viper was considered as a species of dart, with which it was able to wound its prey-it was believed that the venom was

situated at its double tip, which was then compared to a poisonous arrow. This error, probably, had its rise from its being remarked, that the viper always darts out its tongue rapidly when about to bite. The tongue is contained in a kind of sheath-in which there is no venom whatever, and its principal use is to catch insects which form part of the food of vipers.

The apparatus of poison in the Viper, is very similar to that of the Rattle-snake, and all the other poisonous serpents. The symptoms that follow the bite, are an acute pain in the wound. ed part, with a swelling, at first red,

but afterwards livid, which, by degrees, spreads to the adjoining parts; with great faintness, and a quick, though low, and sometimes interrupted pulse; sickness at the stomach, with bilions, convulsive vomitings, cold sweats, and sometimes pain about the navel. The most esteemed remedy is common salad-oil, thoroughly rabbed on the wounded part. In this country the viper is not known; in England, though its bite produces a painful and troublesome swelling, it is rarely attended with any other bad consequences.

The poison, according to Dr. Mead, when diluted with a little warm water, and applied to the tip of the tongue, is sharp and fiery, a sensation taking place, as though the tongue was struck through with something scalding or burning. This, he says, goes off in two or three

hours. One persou, mentioned by Dr. Mead, tried a large drop of it undiluted; in conse quence of which his tongue swelled with a little inflammation; and the soreness lasted two days. Other persons on the contrary assert it to have no particular acrimony of taste, but that in this respect, it rather resembles oil or gum. Contradictions nearly equal have taken place relative to the effect of viperian poison taken into the stomach. Boerhaave affirms it to produce no ill effect whatever; and the Abbe Fontana, that it is not to be swallowed with impunity-although he is one of those who assert its being devoid of any thing unpleasant to the taste. We are told, however that in the presence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, while the philosophers were making elaborate dissertations on the danger of the poison taken inwardly, a viper-catcher, who happened to be present, requested that a quantity of it might be put into a vessel, and then with the utmost confidence, and to the astonishment of the whole company, drank it off in their presence. Every one expected the man instantly to drop down dead; but they soon perceived their mistake, says the relater of the story, and found that taken inwardly, the poison was as harmless as water.

The viper differs from most other serpents, in being much slower, as also in excluding its young completely formed, and bringing them forth alive, The kindness of Providence seems

exerted, not only in diminishing the speed, but also the fertility, of this dangerous creature. They are supposed to be about three months before they bring forth, and they have seldom above eleven eggs at a time. These are of the size of a blackbird's eggs, and chained together in the womb, like a string of beads. Each egg contains from one to four young ones; so that the whole of a brood may amount to about twenty or thirty. They continue in the womb till they come to such perfection as to be able to burst from the shell; and they are said, by their own efforts to creep from their confinement into the open air, where they continue for several days without taking any food whatsoever. have been often assured," says Mr. Pennant, "by intelligent people, of the truth of a fact, that the young of the viper, when terrified, will run down the throat of the parent, and seek shelter* in its belly in the same manner as the young of the Opossom are said to retire into the ventral pouch of the old one. From this," continues he, "some have imagined, that the viper is so unna. tural as to devour its own young; but this deserves no credit, as these animals live upon frogs, toads, lizards, and young birds, which they swallow whole, though the morsel is often three times as thick as their own body."

"We

The viper is capable of supporting very long abstinence, it being known, that some have been

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