This Snake, for all his Agility, is so brittle,
that when he is pursued, and gets his Head into the Hole of a Tree,
if any body gets hold of the other end, he will twist, and break himself off
in the middle. One of these Snakes, whose Neck is no thicker
that a Woman's little Finger, will swallow a Squirrel;
so much does that part stretch, in all these Creatures.
{King Snake.}
The King-Snake is the longest of all others, and not common;
no Snake (they say) will meddle with them. I think they are not accounted
very venomous. The Indians make Girdles and Sashes of their Skins.
{Green Snake.}
Green-Snakes are very small, tho' pretty (if any Beauty be allow'd to Snakes.)
Every one makes himself very familiar with them, and puts them in their Bosom,
because there is no manner of Harm in them.
{Corn-Snake.}
The Corn-Snakes are but small ones; they are of a brown Colour,
mixed with tawny. There is no more hurt in this, than in the green Snake.
{Vipers.}
Of those we call Vipers, there are two sorts. People call these Vipers,
because they spread a very flat Head at any time when they are vex'd.
One of these is a grayish like the Italian Viper, the other black and short;
and is reckon'd amongst the worst of Snakes, for Venom.
{Tortois.}
Tortois, vulgarly call'd Turtle; I have rank'd these among the Insects,
because they lay Eggs, and I did not know well where to put them. Among us
there are three sorts. The first is the green Turtle, which is not common,
but is sometimes found on our Coast. The next is the Hawks-bill,
which is common. These two sorts are extraordinary Meat.
The third is Logger-Head, which Kind scarce any one covets,
except it be for the Eggs, which of this and all other Turtles,
are very good Food. None of these sorts of Creatures Eggs
will ever admit the White to be harder than a Jelly; yet the Yolk,
with boiling, becomes as hard as any other Egg.
{Terebin.}
Of Terebins there are divers sorts, all which, to be brief, we will comprehend
under the Distinction of Land and Water-Terebins.
{Land-Terebin.}
The Land-Terebin is of several Sizes, but generally Round-Mouth'd,
and not Hawks-Bill'd, as some are. The Indians eat them. Most of them
are good Meat, except the very large ones; and they are good Food too,
provided they are not Musky. They are an utter Enemy to the Rattle-Snake,
for when the Terebin meets him, he catches hold of him a little below
his Neck, and draws his Head into his Shell, which makes the Snake
beat his Tail, and twist about with all the Strength and Violence imaginable,
to get away; but the Terebin soon dispatches him, and there leaves him.
These they call in Europe the Land Tortois; their Food is Snails, Tad-pools,
or young Frogs, Mushrooms, and the Dew and Slime of the Earth and Ponds.
