I. The First exhibits a general View of Serpents , in their various Aspects; such as their Kinds, Bulk, Food, Motion, Propagation, Coverture, Colours. In which is inserted a short Account of Vegetable, Mineral, and Animal Poison, particularly that of the Serpent ; and its Cure in various Nations; where also the Serpent is used as Food and Physick. II. The Second gives a View of most Serpents that are known in the several Parts of the World; described by their various Names, different Countries,

I begin with the Division of Serpents, which I distribute into Terrestrial , that live upon Land only; Aquatick , that live in Water; and Amphibious , that inhabit both Elements. Under these I comprehend all the Relatives to the venomous Tribe. But how can Land-Serpents live in Water? I answer, their Bodies are equally formed for both Places. Among Animals, some breathe by Lungs , and others by Gills , as all sanguineous Fish, (excepting the Whale .) By Gills , I mean those membranous cartilagin

The knowledge of mere Animals (who have no School for Arts and Sciences) is most surprising; these without visible Instructors, know how to perpetuate their Species to the End of the World; and how to order their Eggs, as those, who are apprized, their Successors were contained in them, and that it was in their power to produce them, and to perpetuate, or keep up the Name of their Family. The Serpentine Animals are thus taught by Nature; these differ in the Mode of Propagation; some of them are

Serpents are supposed to have many Enemies, besides Man, as the Eagle , Hawk , Stork , Ibis , Ichneumon , Magaure , &c. I shall only touch upon some of these: Ibis is a Bird of Egypt , and a faithful Ally in the War against Serpents; vast Numbers of winged Serpents are annually bred in Arabia , from whence, at certain Seasons, Swarms of them take their flight across the Red-Sea into Egypt : Upon the first notice of their Arrival, the Ibidian Birds assemble in Troops, and immediately fly

That Dust was not the original Food of the Serpent, seems evident from the Sentence passed upon the Paradisaic Serpent, but the necessary Consequence of the Change made in the manner of its Motion, i. e. the prone Posture of its Body, by which it’s doomed to live upon Food intermix’d with Earth, dried to a Powder; Dust shalt thou eat , is one part of the Curse. It’s true, Serpents eat Flesh, Birds, Frogs, Fish, Fruits, Grass, but as they continually creep on the Earth, ’tis impossible but their

As Serpents differ in Kind, so in Size; the Length to which some of them grow is most surprizing. A certain Number is sent out with little Bodies; others are of monstrous Bulk, and capable of making the strongest Efforts against all the Attempts made to destroy them; yea, are strong enough to contend with Elephants , the greatest of Animals, and conquer them. e. gr. ATTILIUS REGULUS , the Roman General in Africa , is said to encounter a Serpent in that Country, of vast Strength and Stature, near

The Apparatus in Serpents for their Motion is admirable. How curious the Structure of their Muscles, and their Junction to every Point, whereby they are prepared for their different Motions, and enabled to move according to their different Nature and Situation! In those that go upon their Bellies, the Movement is very singular, which is in a Form curvilineal, different winding of their Bodies. The Serpentine Line, among Mathematicians, is borrowed from the Foldings of a Serpent in its Motion. Th

What is Poison? I answer, that, generally speaking, ’tis taken to be a malignant Quality in some Vegetables, Minerals, and Animals, a small Quantity of which is hurtful, and even mortal, &c. The Learned in the Faculty tell us, Poisons operate in various manners; some by dissolving the Blood, others by coagulating it, and some by corroding and destroying the Solids. The Learned Sir Hans Sloane says, “Some attack equally all Parts, some only a particular one. Thus the Lepus Marinus is an E

That venemous Creatures have been made Instruments of divine and human Vengeance, is most evident. The romantic Account given in Antiquity, of strange Feats done by a poisonous Breath—does not affect the Truth of this Proposition. The Antients divided Serpents, into good and evil Ministers; thus the Egyptians looked upon some of them to be Administrators of Mercy, and others to be Messengers of Justice. Osiris [85] one of their Gods, is said to send out Serpents, to chastise Evil-Doers [86] . 85

Contents. Various Sentiments about the Primæval Serpent: Some say, ’twas a real Serpent; others say, the Passage is allegorical. Some make the Serpent to be Pleasure; others the Devil in the Natural Serpent. Reasons why Adam was not made beyond a Capacity of Sinning. Our first Parents arm’d with sufficient Power to stand: They knew no Enemy. Satan a compleat Orator. The Fatal Surrender. Satan’s triumphant Return from Eden. Serpent’s Head and Subtility. Intercourse between the Angelick and Human

Contents. Of the fiery Serpents that annoy’d the Camp of Israel: The Reason of that judicial Stroke , i.e. Murmuring under a Dispensation of Miracles. Why punish’d by Serpents? Why called Fiery? The last Plague in the Desart. Flying Serpents. It might be said with great Propriety of the People of Israel , that they were a Generation of Vipers . Ingratitude, Unbelief, Discontent and Murmuring, were the dominant Passions in the Wilderness; they were always quarrelling with God and Moses : never ea

Among Serpents, we find some that are furnished with Wings. Herodotus who saw those Serpents, says they had great Resemblance to those which the Greeks and Latins call’d Hydræ ; their Wings are not compos’d of Feathers like the Wings of Birds, but rather like to those of Batts ; they love sweet smells, and frequent such Trees as bear Spices. These were the fiery Serpents that made so great a Destruction in the Camp of Israel . In their Extremity, the People addrest their Mediator, Prophet, and G

The brazen Serpent was a Figure of the flying Serpent, Saraph , which Moses fixed upon an erected Pole: That there were such, is most evident. Herodotus who had seen of those Serpents, says they very much resembled those which the Greeks and Latins called Hydræ : He went on purpose to the City of Brutus to see those flying Animals, that had been devour’d by the Ibidian Birds. In Asiatic-Georgia , between the Caspian and Euxine Sea, are found winged Dragons, with anserine Feet and venemous Claws;