SECTION XI.

Spectacle or Hooded Snake.

Coluber Naja.-LINN.

THE Coluber naja, or cobra de capello, is a native of India, where it appears to be one of the most common, as well as most noxious, of the serpent tribe; very frequently proving fatal, in the space of a few minutes, to those who unfortunately experience its bite. Its remarkable form and colours are such as to distinguish it with great ease from almost every other snake. Its gene. ral length seems to be three or four feet, and the diameter of the body about an inch and a quarter: the head is rather small than large, and is covered on the fore part with large smooth scales; resembling, in this respect, the majority of innoxious serpents: the back part, sides, and neck, with smaller ovate scales; and the remainder of the animal, on the upper parts, with small, distinct, oblong-oval scales, not ill resembling the general form of a grain of rice. At a small distance beyond the head is a lateral swelling or dilatation of the skin, which is continued to the distance of about four inches downwards, where the outline gradually sinks into the cylindric form of the rest of the body. This part is extensile, at the pleasure of the animal; and when viewed from above, while in its most extended state, is of a somewhat cordated form, or wider at the upper than the lower part: it is marked above by a very large and conspicuous patch or spot, greatly re sembling the figure of a pair of spectacles; the mark itself being white with black edges, and the middle of each of the rounded parts black. This mark is more or less distinct in different individuals, and also varies occasionally in size and form, and in some is even altogether wanting. The usual colour of the animal is a pale ferruginous brown above; the under parts being of a blueish white, sometimes slightly tinged with pale brown, or yellow: the tail, which is of moderate length, tapers gradually, and terminates in a slender, sharp-pointed extremity.

This formidable reptile has obtained its Portuguese title of Cobra de Capello, or hooded snake, from the appearance which it presents when viewed in front in an irritated state, or when preparing to bite; at which time it bends the head rather down. wards, and seems hooded, as it were, in some degree, by the ex.

panded skin of the neck. In India it is every where exhibited publicly as a show, and is, of course, more universally known in that country than almost any other of the race of reptiles. It is carried about in a covered basket, and so managed by its proprie. tors as to assume, when exhibited, a kind of dancing motion; raising itself up on its lower part, and alternately moving its head and body from side to side for some minutes to the sound of some musical instrument which is played during the time. The Indian jugglers, who thus exhibit the animal, first deprive it of its fangs, by which means they are secured from the danger of the bite.

Dr. Russel, in his account of experiments made in India with this serpent, observes, that, as a general standard for a comparison of the effect of its bite with that of the other poisonous serpents, he never knew it prove mortal to a dog in less than twenty-seven mi. nutes, and a chicken in less than half a minute. Thus, fatal as it is, its poison seems not so speedy in operation as that of the rattle.snake, which has been known to kill a dog in the space of two minutes.

CHAP. VI.

BIRDS.

Aves. LINN.

SECTION I.

Condor Gryphus.

Vultur. LINN.

THIS is a bird of prodigious size, with a caruncle on the crown as long as the head; throat naked. Inhabits South America; measures, with the wings extended, from tip to tip, not less than from twelve to sixteen feet; builds under the protection of the highest rocks; lays two white eggs. It is a bird of fearful and enormous power, but, happily for mankind, in every country extremely rare. Feuillée has well described a specimen that fell a prey to his own courage.

dor perched on a high rock before me; I approached within mus. ket shot, and fired; but as my piece was only loaded with swan. shot, the lead was not able sufficiently to pierce the bird's feathers. I perceived, however, by its manner of flying, that it was wound. ed; as it rose heavily, and with a good deal of difficulty, reached another rock, about five hundred yards distant, upon the shore; I therefore loaded again with a ball, and hit the bird under the throat, which made it mine. I accordingly ran up to seize it; but even in death it was terrible, and defended itself on its back, with its claws extended against me; so that I scarce knew how to lay hold of it. Had it not been mortally wounded, I should have found it no easy matter to take it; but I at last dragged it down from the rock, and, with the assistance of one of the seamen, carried it to the tent, to make a coloured drawing.

"The wings of this bird, which I measured exactly, were ele. ven feet four inches, from one extremity to the other: the great feathers, of a beautiful shining black, were two feet two inches long. The thickness of the beak was proportionable to the rest of the body; the length about four inches; the point hooked downwards, and white at its extremity, the other part being of a jet black. A short down, of a brown colour, covered the head; the eyes were black, and surrounded with a circle of reddish brown; the feathers on the breast, neck, and wings, were of a light brown; those on the back rather darker; its thighs were covered with brown feathers down to the knee: the thigh bone was ten inches long; the leg five inches: the toes were three before and one behind the latter was an inch and a half long, with a single joint; and the claw with which it was armed was black, and three-quarters of an inch; the other claws were in the same proportion; and the leg and toes covered with black scales.

"These birds usually frequent the mountains, where they find their prey. They never descend to the sea shore, but in the rainy season; sensible of cold they repair there for warmth. Though these mountains are situated in the torrid zone, the cold is often very severe; for throughout almost the whole year, they are covered with snow; but especially during the winter, when it is in great depth upon them. The small quantity of nourishment which these birds find on the sea-coast, except when the tempest drives in some of the larger fishes, obliges the condor to remain there but a short time. He usually comes to the coast at the approach of

evening, remains there all night, and returns again in the morning."

This condor, however, seems to have been much inferior in size to those described by Acosta, Garcilasso, Demarchais, and some other travellers, who affirm they have seen them eighteen feet from tip to tip of the wing; that their beaks are so strong and sharp, that they can easily pierce the body of a cow; that two of them can attack and devour one entirely; that they sometimes singly oppose a man. The Indians, in like manner, who are more accustomed to see them, declare, that they can carry off a deer or a calf as easily as an eagle does a rabbit; that their bodies are as large as a sheep; that their flesh is tough, and smells like carrion : their sight piercing, and their looks cruel: The Spaniards themselves seem afraid of their depredations; and are not without in. stances of their carrying off children of ten or twelve years old. Their flight is terrible; and, when they alight, one is stunned with their noise. Condamine asserts, that he has often seen them in the province of Quito, and on the borders of the Maragnon, swimming over a flock of sheep, some of which they would have carried off, had they not been scared by the shepherds. It is reported that the Indians of these countries catch them, by working a piece of viscous clay into the form of a child, upon which they dart with such rapidity, that their claws are entangled, so as to prevent their escape. De Solis, alluding to this bird, says, that there were among the curiosities of the Emperor of Mexico, birds of such extraordi. nary fierceness and size, as to appear monsters; and that he had been informed, that each of them could devour a sheep at a single meal.

After reading the history of these birds, the fiction of Virgil's harpies appears less extravagant, or rather seems to sink into mere narrative. Later writers, however, have greatly softened these accounts, and assure us that the countenance of the condor is not so terrible as the first travellers have painted it; and that their nature appears equally mild with that of the eagle, or the vulture.

Mr. Ray, and almost all the naturalists after him, have classed the condor in the genus of the vultures, on account of the nakedness of his head and neck. His dispositions, however, and habits, seem as strongly to plead his affinity to the eagles: he is rapid,

preferring live prey to carrion, his activity, and every habit, seem to bring him nearer to the eagle than to the vulture tribes.

However this may be, it is probable this extraordinary bird is not confined solely to South America. Some are of opinion, that it is also to be found in Africa, Asia, and even in some parts of Europe. Garcilasso imagines it to be the same bird with the roc, so famous in the fables of the Arabian writers. Probably the great bird mentioned in the voyages to the South Sea, which is said to be nearly as large as an ostrich, is the same with the condor. The bird of prey, in the neighbourhood of Tarnassar, in the East Indies, and the vulture of Senegal, which carries off children, are of the same species with that above described. Several authors mention a similar bird, sometimes seen in Russia, Lapland, and Germany. Buffon mentions a large bird shot in France, eighteen feet in breadth, which he supposes to be the condor, not only on account of its size, but of its pie colour, resembling those birds in Peru. This naturalist deems it scarcely probable, that a bird which claims the first rank in this class of beings, should be confined to a single district of the earth.

[Ray. Feuillée. Humboldt, Pantologia.

SECTION II.

Bulbul, or Jocose Shrike.

Lanius jocosus.-LINN.

THIS bird is of the size of a lark, but varying in different individuals: colour above, brown; beneath, dull white, with the vent pale crimson, or bright rose-colour: crown of the head black, with a rising, finely. fibred crest in the middle: from the corners of the bill on each side, a black stripe; beneath each eye a small bright crimson spot, and across the breast a brown bar. Native of China, India, Persia, &c. and sometimes called by the name of bulbul: of a lively disposition, and agreeable manners. been generally considered as the celebrated bulbul, or Persian nightingale, so often commemorated in the works of Hafiz, Sadi, and other Persian poets. This, however, seems not clearly ascertained; and the name bulbul, usually translated nightingale, seems to be applied, in different parts of India and Persia, to very dif