One very remarkable account of this kind is from Italy by Dr. Sprengell. At Milan he found a viper catcher, who feldom was without fixty or more vipers alive, kept together in a back room, open at top; he had them from all parts of Italy, and fold them dead or alive according to the ufes they were defigned for. Having one day got a female viper, big with young, we catched some mice, and threw in one at a time; among all that nuinber of vipers, which were upwards of fixty, there was none of them in the leaft concerned himself about the moufe, till the pregnant female viper and the mouse interchanged eyes; whereupon the moufe ftartled; but the viper raised her head, and turned her neck into a perfect bow, the mouth open, the tongue playing, the eyes all on fire, and the tail erect: The mouse feemed foon recovered of his fright, would take a turn or two, and fometimes more, pretty briskly round the viper, and giving at times a fqueak, would run with a great deal of swiftness into the chops of the viper, where it gradually funk down the gullet. All this while the viper never ftirred out of her place, but lay in a ring." It is to be observed, that no viper will feed when confined, except a pregnant female viper. The Doctor faw the fame thing at Bruffels, where a foldier had catched a large viper big with young. [FROM THE TRAVELS OF LE VALLIANT IN AFRICA.] IN the additional volumes of the travels of Le Valliant into Africa, appear fome very striking facts relative to the fafcinating power of ferpents. Two of them are authenticated on the evidence of the author himself, and the other is fanctioned by his belief in the veracity of the relator. The inftances produced by Le Valliant are briefly as follow: First inftance." One day, in one of our excurfions in hunting, we perceived a motion in the branches of one of the trees. Immediately we heard the piercing cries of a fhrike, and faw it tremble as if in comvulfions. We first conceived that it was held in the gripe of fome bird of prey; but a closer attention led us to discover upon the next branch of the tree, a large ferpent, that with ftretched out neck, and fiery eyes, though perfectly fill, was gazing at the poor animal. The agony of the bird was terri ble; but fear had deprived it of ftrength, and, as if tied by the leg it feemed to have loft the power of flight. One of the company ran for a fufee; but before he returned, the fhiike was dead, and we only hot the ferpent. I requested that the distance between the place where the bird had experienced the convulfions, and that occupied by the ferpent might be measured. Upon doing fo, we found it to be three feet and a half, and we were all convinced that the fhrike had died neither from the bite, nor the poison of its enemy. I ftripped it alfo before the whole company, and made them obferve, that it was untouched, and had not received the flightest wound,” Second inftance." Hunting one day, in a marfhy piece of ground, I heard, all at once, in a tuft of reeds, a piercing and very lamentable cry. Anxious to know what it was, I ftole foftly to the place, where I perceived a small mouse, like the shrike on the tree, in agonizing convulfions, and two yards farther a ferpent, whofe eyes were intently fixed upon it. The moment the reptile faw me, it glided away; but the bufinefs was done. Upon taking up the moufe, it expired in my hand, without its being poffible for me to difcover, by the most attentive examination, what had oc cafioned its death." * Phil. Tranf. No. 397. Third inftance, "The Hottentots, whom I confulted upon this inci dent, expreffed no fort of aftonishment. Nothing, they faid, was more common; the ferpent had the faculty of attracting and fascinating fuch animals as it wished to devour. I had then no faith in fuch power; but fome time after, speaking of the circumftance in a company of more than twenty perfons, in the number of whom was Colonel Gordon; a captain of his regiment confirmed the account of the Hottentots, and affured me it was an event which happened very frequently. My teftimony,' added he, ought to have the more weight, as I had once nearly become myself a victim to this fascination. While in garrifon at Ceylon, and amusing myfelf, like you, in hunting in a marfh, I was, in the course of my sport, fuddenly feized with a convulfive and involuntary trembling, different from any thing I had ever experienced, and at the fame time was strongly attracted, and in ipite of myfelf, to a particular spot of the maish. Directing my eyes to the fpot, I beheld, with feelings of horror, a serpent of an enormous fize, whofe look inftantly pierced me. Having, however, not yet loft all power of motion, I embraced the opportunity before it was too late, and faluted the reptile with the contents of my fusee. The report was a talifman that broke the charm. All at once, as if by miracle, my convulfion ceafed; I felt myself able to fly; and the only inconvenience of this extraordinary adventure was a cold fweat, which was doubtJefs the effect of my fear, and of the violent agitation my fenfes had undergone." Such was the account given me by this officer. I do not pretend to vouch for its truth; but the flory of the moule, as well as of the (hrike, I aver to be a fact." The fame phenomena then have been observed in Europe, Afia, and Afri ca, as well as in America. If then we form our judgment from obfervation, the conclufion will be, that in every part of the earth, the ferpent has difplayed different powers and faculties, from what have appeared in othe er animals. Remarks and Conjectures on the above Accounts. From the above accounts it can hardly be doubted, but that the viper, the black, and the rattle fnake, have a power to affect birds, fquir rels, and the human race, in an extraordinary and powerful manner; fo as to caufe them to approach within the reach of their devouring jaws. To philofophers, who derive all their information from their books, and to men who determine from theory and fyftem, the whole affair paffes for vulgar delufion and folly: Nor will it ever appear probable to any perfon who is accustomed to no other way of reasoning, than the metaphyfical method of determining facts by reafonings a priori, that nature has given to the ferpent very different powers from thofe which he has imparted to any other fpecies of animals. But it certainly is not from the men of metaphyfical theory and fyftem, but from the careful obfervers of nature, that the most important information is to be expected. And it will be difficult to find any defect in the observations that have been mentioned, or any circumstance that denotes them to have been delufive or fallacious. I must therefore admit it as a well attefled fact, that nature has imparted to the ferpents mentioned above the fingular and extraordinary power of facination; or affecting other animals in fachi manner as to caule them to approach within their reach, This power, whatever it be, seems to be exerted by means of the eye of the fnake. "The eye of this reptile, fays Mr. Dudley, (the ratlefnake) has fomething fo fingular and terrible, that there is no looking Redfaftly upon him.”* All the accounts agree that no uncommon effect is perceived, till the eye of the animal is fixed on that of the ferpent. It fhould feem from Mr. Beach's and Mr. Willard's accounts, that the eye of the fpectator is no fooner fixed on that of the snake, than the most lively and beautiful colours are feen, in the most engaging and enchanting forms, in large rings, circles, or rolls: and that these circular appearances of the most beautiful light and colours are gradually diminishing in their circum. ferences-Hence the encircled animal is conftantly taking irregular or circular motions, within the circle of apparent light; both of which be come more and more contracted, till they are brought to a centre or close at the head of the snake. 3. The operation whatever it may be, takes away the fenfes, or stupi fies the animal, on which the operation is carried on. This was the case, and to a high degree, with all the perfons mentioned in the above accounts. They found themselves violently affected, but new not what was the matter. At the beginning of the fcene they feemed apprehensive of danger, but foon loft all power, and all inclination, to make any opposition Nor was there, in a few moments, enough left of the rational or animal powers, to reflect on their fituation, difcern their danger, contrive a method or make any attempt to escape. Deprived of fenfe and reafon they remained fubject to a power which they could not comprehend or oppofe, and yet in great and extreme diftrefs. 4. Can there be any fubtle effluvia, poisonous exhalation, or ftupifying virus, emitted by the eye of the ferpent, and received by that of the en-, chanted animal, equal to, and producing the uncommon effects which have been mentioned. This feems contrary to all the other appearances of animal nature; and yet the phenomena feem to indicate fuch a phyfical kind of operation. The body of the boy at New-Jerfey was covered with a violent fweat. His head was affected with a dizziness, and pain nor did he recover his health for feveral days. Mr. Willard efcaped before the fcene was completed and found himself too much affected to fleep the next night; but could not determine whether it was owing to the fright, or to a phyfical effect on the nervous fyftem. In the lady at Lanfingburgh, the fascination iffued in a long fit of ficknefs, which was not cured in five years. These are phenomena which feem not only to denote phyfical operations, but fuch as were of a very powerful and extraordinary nature; and which feem to resemble what was faid of the bafalifk by the ancients. 5. Whether there is any thing in the powers of other animals that refembles this faculty in the ferpent, I am not enough acquainted with natural history to determine. Some perfons have mentioned the Dog and the Cat, as exhibiting fome appearances of a fimilar power; but I do not find any fufficient evidence in poof of it. Nor do I know of any thing in nature that approximates to a fimilarity, except the refemblance in the effect which light appears to have on fome animals. Some infects will fly into a burning candle, and remain in the flame till their wings are confumed, and their bodies burned. The effect of light is alfo apparent in fome of the birds. In a barn in which the fwallows refide in he fummer, if a burning candle be carried in the night, the fwallows will foon leave their places of reft, and gather round the light. The * Phil, Tranf, No. 376, p. 29a, fishermen in almoft every country, frequently avail themselves of the fame difpofition in fome fpecies of fifh; and expect to allure them to their boats or weapons by the light of a lanthorn or Imall fire. The sportsmen in fome countries, effect their purposes by the reflection of light. "There is a method among (portfmen of taking larks by a net and looking glaffes, which they exprefs by the name of Doring. Five or fix looking glaffes are fo fixed to a ftick, as to reflect the light upwards. The stick in which they are fixed is fo made as to revolve on its axis by means of a string wound round it. When the machine is thus twirled round, the light is reflected upwards by the mirrors in quick and conftant fucceffion, and to a confiderable extent. The bird is faid to be enticed or invited by the glim mering of the light, till it defcends and lights near the looking glaffes, and is then taken by the net."+" The lark catchers in fome countries," fays Brydone," are fo dexterous at this maneuver, that with a small mirror they throw the rays of light on the lark, let her be ever fo high in the air; which by a kind of facination, brings down the poor animal to the fnare."‡ Such an effect does not feem to be altogether diffimilar to what takes place in the facination of a bird by a ferpent. The lad at New-Jerfey faid that" at the inftant the fnake fixed his eye upon him there appeared fomething to flash in his eyes, which he could compare to nothing more fimilar, than the rays of light thrown from a glass or mirror when turned in the fun shine; he said it dazzled his eyes &c." Nor do the eyes of the ferpent feem to be unfitted to produce fome fuch effect. There is fomething in the eyes of a large rattle snake that is so fierce, ardent, and penetrating, that it is painful to look upon them; and we do in fact experi ence phyfical effects, which to fay the least, are agitating and very uncomfortable. 6. Whence arofe the idea of any uncommon fubtilty or cunning in the ferpent? There does not feem to be any thing in the whole race, which has proved agreeabte, ufeful, or beneficial to mankind. The highest degree of malice and danger were expreffed by the ancients, by the phrafe of a ferpent that would not be charmed; that is phyfically divefted of his difpofition to bite. And yet it has happened that this fpecies of animals in almost every country, has been coufidered as the emblem of fomething wife or excellent. Strabo and Eufebius tell us that at Elephantina, the god that was fuppofed to reprefent the architect of the universe was adored under the fi gure of a ferpent. In his hiftory of the creation, Mofes reprefents the ferpent, as more fubtile than any beaft of the field, which the Lord God had made. The Jewish and the Chriftian theology both fuppofe that the form of the ferpent was that which the tempter chofe, to give the greatest probability, influence, and fuccefs to his defigns and attempts upon the human race. The Saviour of mankind in his day, gave it as a command to his difciples, to be wife as ferpents, but harmlefs as doves. The Egyptians twined two ferpents together round the globe, probably to reprefent the equilibrium of the fyftem of the world. In India, the priests put the ferpent into the hands of their divinities. By a circle made by a ferpent with his tail in his mouth, the ancients meant to reprefent eternity; by being coild round a flick, he was fuppofed to exhibit the god of health; and we have made him the reprefentative of justice and prudence. The Jews, the Greeks and the Muffulmen, have all viewed this reptile in a Article DORING. Supplement to Chambers's Dictionary. fingular light; and he has every where been used to denote something valuable and ufeful. Whence arose all this celebrity, and these ideas of his wifdom or cunning? And how came fo many different nations to affix the ideas of wifdom, power, and utility, to a race of animals that do not appear to be either friendly, or of any advantage to mankind? I cannot afcertain either the origin, or the caule of the reputation that has been affigned to a reptile, which appears to be the most ufelefs, odious and obnoxious, of the whole animal race; nor can I determine whether the ancients were acquainted with his fingular powers. They have been obferved in Europe, Afia, Africa, and America; but I do not find any thing in the earliest writings, thofe of Mofes or Homer, that intimate any fuch fufpicion. Homer speaks of enchantment, as fomething that was well known and generally believed in his day. But it was not the eye, or a ferpent that was invested with this dreadful power; it was the voice and the fongs of the Syrens, that carried unavoidable enchantment and deftruction. But whatever were the fentiments of the ancients refpecting this animal, I think it can hardly be doubted but that he does now discover a different faculty or power from thofe of other animals. It is to be expected that these powers fhould be moft ftrong and apparent in those countries, where he exifts in the greatest cafe and vigor; and has been the least disturbed by cultivation, or by man and to me the evidence is convincing, that the ferpent has difcovered fuch powers in America. But I am fo far from comprehending this myfteri. ous article of natural hiftory, that I must refer the subject to the investiga. tion of men of better abilities and more information. ******* THE TWO-HEADED SNAKE. NATURALISTS have been in doubt whether the two-headed fnake was a monftrous production, or a distinct fpecies of ferpents. The follow ing curious obfervation of Capt. William Baker, feems to decide the point. Mr. Baker is well known to the Author, and there is no room to doubt the authenticity, or the accuracy of his account. In August 1763, in the town of Sherley, county of Middlefex, and state of Maffachufetis, I found a large water fnake, as I was mowing in a meadow, formerly flowed by beaver. I took out of the belly of the fnake fixty young ones; they were about ten inches long, except one of them, which had two heads, four eyes, two tongues, and appeared to be about two inches longer than any of the reft. I fhewed the fnake with two heads, to a great many people; but as I was but a boy, and at that time knew not that I could have preferved it in fpirits, I did not attempt keeping it, which I am very forry for, as the fight of him would prove to the world, together with this account, that the two headed fnake is of a mone ous production. W. BAKER. RUTLAND, DEC. 16, 1795. No. V. A Differtation on the Colors of Men, particularly on that of the Indians of America. CHAP. VIII. P. 237. COLORS OF MEN.-ONE of the most curious phenomena that belongs to the natural hiftory of man, is the color with which he is marked. Every VOL. i. N 3 |