head is beautifully marked with black and white, the former colour prevailing. The eyes are very small, and surrounded with black, which adds to their lustre.

This species is very familiar, and never attempts to escape from mankind, nor does it ever shew any signs of fear when approached. It seems remarkably sensible to the degree of cold, which sometimes prevails in hot climates; on which account, it seeks for warm situations; and the smallness of its size, the beauty of its colours, the gentleness of its movements, and its harmless disposition, inspire a fondness for it in the Indians even the females, far from having any fear of it, take it in their hands, caress and cherish it. The ladies in Malabar, where it is very common, and in many other parts of India, are careful to warm this delicate little serpent, when it appears languid, during the cool weather of the rainy season. They place it in their bosoms, without any dread, and it seems perfectly sensible of their kindness; during the hot season, also, these ladies are equally fond of this viper, which they fondle, for the purpose, in their turn, of being refreshed by the touch of its skin, which is so smooth as always to feel cool.

THE CERASTES.

THIS venemous serpent is a native of Egypt, as well as of Syria and Arabia. It is at once distinguished from other snakes, by two small pointed and arched horns, situated over the eyes; these give the animal a very terrific appearance, though they are not offensive weapons, Billon compares these horns or excrescences to grains of barley, and it is probably this fancied resemblance, which has occasioned some ancient authors to relate, that the Cerastes conceals itself entirely under fallen leaves and grass, leav ing only its horns exposed, as a bait for birds on which, by this contrivance, it preys.

The usual length of the Cerastes, is from twelve to fifteen inches, though they occasionally grow to two feet. The colour on the back is yellowish, with spots of a deeper shade, the under surface of the body is a pale lead colour.

Most writers of antiquity and of the middle ages, considered this as one of the most noble species of serpents; it is capable of turning and twisting its body, in every direction, with the• greatest facility, insomuch that it never advances straight forwards, but always in curves and windings from side to side, and always making a sort of low hissing or rustling noise, by the motion of its hard scales on each other. Yet however nimble may be its motions, it can with

difficulty escape from eagles and other large birds of prey, which pounce upon it with great swiftness on this account, these birds were always held in great reverence by the Egyptians.

If we may depend on the report of travellers, the Cerastes is able to endure a much longer fast, than any of its kind. An apothecary, at Venice, who had resided for some years at Cairo, is said to have kept two Cerastes in a well closed bottle for five years, without any food; a little sand was put into the bottle, in which they burrowed, and at the end of that long period, they seemed as full of vigour, as if but lately taken.

Mr. Bruce informs us the Cerastes are so fond of heat, that when he and his companions made a fire at night, in order to dress their victuals, they were generally visited by more than half a dozen of these creatures, who burnt themselves to death by approaching too near the embers. The following account of the Cerastes is nearly in his own words:

"The Cerastes moves with great rapidity, and in all directions, forward, backward, and sideways. When he is inclined to surprize any one who is too far from him, he creeps with his side towards the person, and his head averted, till judging his distance, he turns round, springs upon him, and fastens upon the part next to him; for it is not true what is said, that the Cerastes does not leap or spring. I saw one of

them at Cairo, crawl up the side of a box, in which there were many, and there lie still as if hiding himself, till one of the people who brought them to us, came near him, when he leaped nearly the distance of three feet, and fastened between the man's fore-finger and thumb, so as to bring the blood. The man showed no sign either of pain or uneasiness, and remained ful four hours without applying any sort of remedy. We were afterwards assured that the animal had not been previously deprived of his fangs, but was in its perfect state, for he shortly after bit a large pelican in the thigh, which caused its death in thirteen minutes.

This, however, is not surprising, when we are told that the inhabitants of the East will handle venomous reptiles, with a freedom which. a European will hardly credit. For the sake of a livelihood, the Hindoes carry them about ir. baskets, to show the multitude, and make them. gradually uncoil themselves to the sound of their rough music. "I have myself," says Bruce,

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şeen the inhabitants of Africa, take the Cerastes in their hands, put them in thei bosoms, and throw them at one another, as chil. dren do apples or balls, without their being even so irritated by this usage as to bite." They acquire this protection, [he thinks,] by chewing a certain root, and washing themselves with an infusion of certain plants in water. One day, while he was sitting with one of the

shief people, a servant of his brought a Cerastes which he had just taken out of a hole, and was using with every sort of familiarity. Bruce suspected that the teeth had been drawn, but he was assured they had not; and to convince him, the serpent was sent home to him, when it bit a chicken by the neck, which, in consequence, died immediately; he concludes with saying, that he was, at different times, exceedingly anxious to try the efficacy of the herbs they made use of, by washing himself with an infusion of them, but his heart always failed him, as he was about to try the experiment.

A man who came from above the catacombs, where the pits of the mummy birds are kept, has taken, says Mr. B., a Cerastes with his naked hand, from a number of others lying at the bottom of a tub, has put it upon his bare head, covered it with the common red cap he wears, then taken it out, put it on 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 eaten it, as one would do a carrot, or a stock of celery, without any seeming repugnance.

However lively the snake may have been before, when he is seized by any of these barbarians, he seems as if taken with sickness, and