Out, that the hundredth part never comes to Perfection.
The Sun and Sand hatch them, which come out the Bigness of a small Chesnut,
and seek their own Living.
{Brimstone-Snake.}
We now come again to the Snakes. The Brimstone is so call'd, I believe,
because it is almost of a Brimstone Colour. They might as well
have call'd it a Glass-Snake, for it is as brittle as a Tobacco-Pipe,
so that if you give it the least Touch of a small Twigg,
it immediately breaks into several Pieces. Some affirm,
that if you let it remain where you broke it, it will come together again.
What Harm there is in this brittle Ware, I cannot tell;
but I never knew any body hurt by them.
{Chicken-Snake.}
The Egg or Chicken-Snake is so call'd, because it is frequent about
the Hen-Yard, and eats Eggs and Chickens, they are of a dusky Soot Colour,
and will roll themselves round, and stick eighteen, or twenty Foot high,
by the side of a smooth-bark'd Pine, where there is no manner of Hold,
and there sun themselves, and sleep all the Sunny Part of the Day.
There is no great matter of Poison in them.
{Wood-Worm.}
The Wood-Worms are of a Copper, shining Colour, scarce so thick
as your little Finger; are often found in Rotten-Trees.
They are accounted venomous, in case they bite, though I never knew any thing
hurt by them.
