proverbial for their intelligence, ever since North America, their chief seat, has become known; and the otters display the same maternal sensibilities which other orders of animals so strikingly exhibit.* The badger exhibits the domestic feeling of living with its mate, and is susceptible of tuition.t Thus all quadrupeds seem to have been created to possess one analogous mind, uniform in its essential qualities but acting variously, according to the diversities of its bodily investments. facident to its natural life, the toad may be improved, like many other species of animals." La Cep. p. 294. * Our sea captains have observed on the N. W. coast of America, that when a female otter is attacked in company with her young one, she clasps it with her fore feet, and plunges beneath the surface; but, as the cub cannot remain long under water, she is forced to rise again very soon. If the hunters can come on the female by surprise, and separate her from her young one, the cub is taken immediately; but the mother no sooner hears its cries, than she swims to the boat from which they proceed, and, regardless of all danger, shares the fate of her little complaining captive. "It is a crafty animal, yet may be tamed, and employed to catch fish for its master." Kerr's Linn. 173. "The common badgers may be tamed, if caught young. It lives in pairs together, and is very cleanly." Kerr's Linn. 187. t The vital principle in some animals seems to have a remarkable durability. Mr. Bingley has collected two cases, where the toad was found embedded within the wood of an elm and oak tree; and three where it was cut out of stone and marble; in each case alive or reviving into life. v. 3, p. 168. These instances appear authentic; but it is difficult to say which is the most extraordinary circumstance that they should retain vitality in such an enclosure, or that they should have remained still or torpid long enough to have allowed the wood or stony matter to have formed around them. LETTER XVI. The serpent tribe-their peculiarities and mind-their more remarkable species-The alleged sea serpent. THE SERPENT tribe exhibits the animal mind in another incorporation of material particles, approaching more nearly the lizard race than any of the preceding classes of animated natue; but yet distinguished from that, and from every other, by peculiarities appropriated to itself. It has sufficient similarities with all, to show that it is a part of the same general economy of animated nature: although identical with no other, it has analogies and relations to all. It is one of the departments of the same grand empire of organized living forms and sentient beings; full of mingled beauty and terror; presenting to us a new exercise of the divine imagination in its system of creation; but more exclusively existing for its own enjoyment, and less serviceable to man or to the rest of nature, than any other animal genera that we have been reviewing. The serpents have been arranged by La Cepede under eight genera; each including subdivisions and many species;t of which the vipers are by far the most numerous.+ Though destitute of feet and wings, few animals are so nimble as serpents, or can transport themselves from place to place with equal agility. Whether to seize its prey or escape from danger, the serpent moves with the rapidity of an arrow; and emulates, even surpasses, several species of birds in the ease and rapidity with which it gains the ummits of the highest trees; twisting and untwisting its exible body around their trunks and branches with such elerity, that the sharpest eye scarcely follows its rapid • These are, the vipers, the boa, the rattlesnakes, snakes, the amphis Jana, cœcilia, langatra, and acrochord. La Cep. v. 3. . . . The genera of Linnæus, at first only six, are now made by his later editors the same, with a mere difference of position; as he puts the rattlesnake, crotalus, for the first, and coluber, the viper, as his third. Turt. Linn. 1, p. 639. La Cepede subdivides the vipers into two classes; one that produces the young completely formed, 27 species; the other, which emits eggs from which the young are afterwards hatched, in 169 species. v. 3, p. 175; v. 4, p. 1-187.... The Linnæan classification, without this specific distinction, enumerates successively 175 species. T. Linn. 674-95. To the boa genus, 11 species are allotted; 6 to the rattlesnakes; 24 to the snakes; 5 amphisbonas; 2 cecilias; 1 langatra; and 1 acrochord. La Cep. v. 2, p. 189-351. 2 motion. Their size greatly varies: some are but a few inches long, while others extend to forty or even fifty feet. All are covered with scales, or scaly tubercles; and by this analogy are connected with the lizards and fishes. Their brain case is constructed, in some measure, like that of the oviparous quadrupeds; but not reaching so far back in them, scarcely defends the organ of the spinal marrow. Hence serpents are extremely vulnerable, and easily killed by blows, on that part of their head.t The rest of their skele ton has a strong resemblance to that of fishes; but from the nature of their respiration, they cannot remain long under water.t All parts of their body have great force, agility, and elasticity. They are most abundant in warm and temperate regions; but increase in size and numbers in proportion to the heat and moisture, and to the freedom of their range. They have less blood than quadrupeds, and a lower animal heat and less interior activity of system; and in these respects they come nearer to the formation of the insects and worms.§ They are more animated in times of tempest and hurricane, when the electricity of the atmosphere is in the greatest perturbation. Their sense of hearing is dull, but their vision acute. Their eyes, for the most part, are excessively brilliant and animated, extremely moveable, considerably prominent, and advantageously placed for receiving the images of objects from an extensive field. They have a membrana nictitans to draw over their sight when the sun's rays are too powerful, or any injury approaches. Their sense of taste is probably of considerable delicacy, as the tongue is very slender, and divided into two points, which admit of its being readily applied to sapid bodies. They touch only by their plates or scales; but as they readily twist these round every substance, their sensations, from the contact, must be numerous, and their perceptions of touch proportionably nice and perfect. They give many indications that their instincts and sensations have a superiority over those of all other animals, except birds and viviparous quadrupeds.** † Tb. p. 6. La Cep. v. 3, p. 2. Ib. p. 6-10. $ La Cep. v. 3, p. 21–5. Ib. p. 39-41. ** La Cep. p. 42. "They wait with amazing patience, almost absolutely motionless, and often for a very long time, the favourable moment for seizing their prey. They show very strong symptoms of violent rage when attacked; they erect themselves with great boldness against any one who stands in their way; they attack with vast courage, even ene mies of superior strength; they throw themselves furiously against any Several species of them live quietly about the habitations of mankind, and sometimes enter their houses and fix their residence there. They destroy troublesome animals and noxious insects which they find; but are so far from hurting human beings, that they often pass over their bodies and faces when asleep, without doing any injury. They wander about the rooms with great familiarity, and often seem to choose the finest bed for their repose.* Serpents are so tamed as "even to show stronger signs of attachment to their masters than many kinds of donesticated birds, or even of quadrupeds, being only surpassed in fidelity by the dog."+ Their length of life is unknown, and most likely differs in their various species. They can exist so long without food, that it is probable, like the tortoise of Mr. White, whose eating season was the summer, they only seek it at particular periods.§ They have no voice, but a hiss, as their windpipe has no epiglottis to close its upper orifice, and thereby modify the extruded air into modulated sound. But this utterance is softer or stronger, according to circumstances; and is used whenever they are inclined to produce any sound. It is therefore the voluntary effect and expression of the animal's emotions, feelings, and wishes; and from being spontaneously and forcibly issued when these occur, we may infer that it intends by that to signify its sensations. It is thereperson or animal that disturbs them in their combats or their attachments; and, on some occasions, the male defends his mate with the utmost violence." La Cep. 42. La Cep. 43. † La Cep. 44. As to the fascinating power ascribed to the eyes of some of the serpent tribe, Dr. Barton, after having examined the subject, is of opinion that it does not exist; and that the reports of it have arisen from what has been noticed of the fears and cries of birds and other animals, when their nests and young seemed in danger. The alarmed bird watches The snake, and moves about it to prevent these from being discovered. Reasoning from their comparative growth, the Count La Cepede nfers that the great serpents live as long as the crocodiles. p. 52. M. Audubon had a rattlesnake in a cage which for three years reused all food. Bull. Univ. 1828, p. 359. Kalm found that this tribe "would live six months without food, refusing every kind of nourishment." Kalın's Trav. N. Am. It is said that a viper can live a year without any nourishment. "Mr. Pennant kept several in a box for several months without food, and yet they did not seem to have lost any part of their usual vivaciousness." La Cep. 220.... Dr. Shaw mentions that he saw at Venice two cerastes, or horned serpents, which had been kept in a large crystal vessel five years without any visible food. Travels Egypt, p. 411. "In the larger serpents, it appears only to indicate want, desire or rage. No peaceful sensation seems to actuate them in any sufficient degree for being expressed by their organs of voice." La Cep. 63. fore meant by the serpent to be what words of passion, excitation, appetite, or desire are to us; for it is in these expressions of its mind that the varied sibilation is heard. Its milder sensibilities are not accompanied by any vocal annunciation. Yet perhaps if they were sufficiently studied, some light whispering or murmuring tones would be found to indicate their content or pleasure, since the hissing marks their excitement; as several animals of prey accompany their sense of comfort with the softer modifications of their vocal sound.* Serpents have great strength, from the peculiar construc tion of their body. They are so tenacious of life, that it is difficult to kill them by wounds in the body or by the exhaustion of air. Severe cold only suspends the activity of their vital principle, without destroying it. The rattlesnake can bear to be thawed and frozen alternately, without extinguishing its life or functional powers.§ They have been, from all antiquity, and in most countries, celebrated for their great cunning or sagacity; which must be chiefly displayed in their modes of evading their enemies, or of obtaining the prey they seek for, when they desire it. Some serpents are eminently beautiful, for their brilliant * La Cepede makes the distinction, that "almost all animals of prey, as eagles, vultures, tigers, leopards, &c. only emit their cries when about to seize their prey, or to join in mortal combat; while most domestic animals and singing birds soften their voices into the expressions of peaceful joy, or tranquil and innocent pleasure." But Mr. Kerr adds to this a qualifying recollection, that "hawks, a species of eagle, and all the feline genus, have distinct expressions for peaceable satisfaction, for playfulness, and for caressing their young and their mates." p. 64. "This enormous strength in serpents is easily accounted for, from the immense number of powerful levers formed by their chine and ribs, acted upon by a body almost entirely composed of muscle, which winds all around the enemy they mean to destroy." La Cep. 67. After Redi and Boyle had apparently killed them by the total ab straction of air from the glass of an air-pump, they exhibited signs of life twenty-thee hours afterwards on re-admitting the fluid. One, taken near the fire, darted out its forked tongue, though it died the next day. § M. Audubon found a rattlesnake in winter as rigid as a stick, in a complete torpor, but, being placed in a bag on his back, he felt it move and took it off. It issued from the bag full of life, but the cold soon brought back its former state. He revived it several times by placing it near the fire. While it was torpid, all its organic functions ceased. He has often found them torpified, with much food in their stomachs frozen and not digested; but when he exposed the animal to heat, the digestion began again, and continued till the food disappeared. Bull. Univ. 1828, v. 3, p. 358, 9. Their food is according to their size and kind. Vipers take insects, beetles, scorpions, small lizards, young frogs and moles, small mice and toads. The great serpents lie in wait near waters, for goats and ante lopes; and the great boa will attack and swallow even the tiger. |