climates, being found in Sweden, where its bite is nearly as dangerous as in the warmer countries. It is likewise found at Russia, and in several parts of Siberia, where it is very numerous. The people ignorantly believing that some great disaster would follow any attempt to destroy them.

THE WATER-VIPER.

THIS serpent, says Catesby, is called, in Carolina, the Water Rattle-snake; not that it hath a rattle, but it is a large snake not unlike the Rattle-snake in colour, and the bite is said to be as mortal. This snake frequents the water, and is never seen at any great distance from it: the back and head are brown, the belly transversely marked with black and yellow alternately-the head is large, and armed with the like destructive weapons as the Rattle-snake; it is very nimble, and particularly dexterous in catching fish. In summer great numbers are seen lying on the branches of trees hanging over rivers-from which, at the approach of a boat, they drop into the water, and often into the boat on the men's heads: they lie in this manner to surprise either birds or fish, after which last, they plunge and pursue them with great swiftness,

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and catch some of large size, which they carry on shore and swallow whole. One of these I surprised swimming ashore with a large cat-fish in its mouth. The tail is small towards the end, and terminates in a blunt horny point, which,, though perfectly harmless, was, for a long time, considered as capable, not only of killing men and other animals, but even of destroying a tree, by wounding it with it-the tree withering, turning black, and dying

THE GREAT VIPER OF MARTINIQUE.

THIS animal is peculiar to the Islands of Martinique, St. Lucie, and Beconia, and has never been traced to the American continent. On account of its triangular head, resembling that of a spear, it has been named by the French naturalists, Trigonocephalus. when full grown, it is rearly eight feet in length. Its agility as well as its mode of darting, is very remarkable; it rolls the body in four circles, one upon another, the folds of which incline all at once at the will of the animal, so as to throw the whole mass forward five or six feet. After the manner of the crested or hooded snake, it can raise itself vertically on its tail, and thus attain the height of a H

man; at the same time that, by means of large scales, laid over each other, with which the belly is covered, this serpent, like the adder, can climb large trees, and creep among the branches, in order to reach the birds' nests, whose young he devours, and in which he has often been found coiled up.

- The Martinique Viper, is also, from its form, called the cane shaped viper, and is one of the most venomous that we know. When it means to attack any animal, it rolls itself up in a spiral form; and, using its tail as a fixed point, springs with the rapidity of an arrow, but is seldom able to leap to any considerable distance. It has by no means the activity of other serpents, but especially when the weather is the least cool, it remains very much in a torpid state, concealed among leaves, or decayed trees, or in holes in the earth. It very seldom comes into houses or huts in the country, and is never seen in towns, but is often found in corn grounds, where it feeds on rats. It never assails mankind, except when attacked, or irritated, and never bites till it has worked itself into a kind of rage. Its ap. proach is easly discovered by a strong fetid smell which it emits, and by the cries of birds, particularly one called by the planters the white neck. When any person is surprised by this serpent, its attention is easly occupied by presenting a bunch of leaves to it, or a twig; antil the person can get some weapon of defence.

One single blow is generally sufficient to kill it. After cutting off its head, the body continues to move somewhat like a worm, for a considerable time.

This serpent feeds on lizards, rats, poultry, game, and even on cats. Its mouth and throat are capable of such vast distension, that it has been known to swallow a sucking pig. When any prey that it has seized escapes, it follows its footsteps slowly and with difficulty, yet being very quick of sight and smelling, it seldinn fails. to succeed at last, especially as the animal it pursues, soon drops in consequence of the envenomed wound. In swallowing any animal, it always begins by the head; and when its morse! happens to be large, it remains a long while on the spot, stretched out in a state of stupefaction, until digestion is somewhat advanced. Its digestion is very slow, and when one of them is killed some time after a good meal, the fetid smell from its body is quite insupportable.

Notwithstanding the disgust which this animal must naturally excite, some negroes and even whites have ventured to eat it, and have found its flesh good.

Different opinions are entertained respecting the activity of the venom of this serpent. Our author says, that there is no instance of any one escaping, who has been bitten by the Martinique or Lance-shaped Viper; that all died in great agony, and some within six hours after the bite.

It is, indeed, melancholy to read of the manyremedies which have been unsuccesfully applied, to save the lives of those who have been bitten by this serpent, and that in most cases, except when assistance was immediately obtained, all that could be accomplished was merely to as suage the pain of the sufferers, who generally expired a few hours after being wounded.

THE LADY-VIPER.

THIS, which is a native of the East Indies, is one of the most beautiful and most harmless of serpents. Its proportions are more delicate than in most others, its motions are nimble though moderate, and the colours of its skin beautifully mixed together; these however, are. only two, a fine black and a pure white, but they are so agreeably contrasted, and so bright from the high polish of the scales, that they please the eye more than the more rich and bril liant colours of other species, which are often too dazzling,

The general colour of the whole body is white, with rings of black on the whole upper surface, these latter are irregular and somewhat festooned, which adds much to the elegance and variety of the ornament; the top of its small