[117] Stanley's _Fam. Hist. of Birds_, p. 263. [118] _Edin. Journ._, viii. [119] In Pennant's _Brit. Zool._ [120] _Brit. Zool._, App. [121] _Zool._, 1136. [122] Ibid., 2302. [123] _Zool._, 2590. [124] _Letter_ xxxviii. [125] Ibid. xii. [126] Ibid. xi. [127] Ibid. xxxi. [128] _Letter_ xxiii. [129] _Orn. Dict._, Introd., xxvii. [130] _Zool._, 5364. [131] _Brit. Birds_, ii. 264. [132] _Zool._, 2455. [133] Ibid., 565. [134] Ibid., 3753. [135] _Zool._, 4945. [136] Ibid., 4945. [137] _Zool._, 4995. [138] Ibid. 1639. [139] _Letter_ xviii., 2d ser. [140] _Zool._, 565. VI. THE CRESTED AND WATTLED SNAKE. About the middle of the last century there existed in Amsterdam a Museum of natural history, which, though accumulated by the zeal and industry of a private individual, far exceeded in extent and magnificence any collection then in the world. It had been gathered by Albert Seba, a wealthy apothecary in the Dutch East India Company's service, who fortunately published an elaborate description of its contents. This great work, "_Locupletissimi Rerum Naturalium Thesauri accurata Descriptio_,"--in four volumes folio, published from 1734 to 1765,--is even now remarkable for the accuracy and beauty of its copious engravings, which still are referred to as authorities, though the descriptions are devoid of scientific value. Many of these figures and descriptions, about whose reality no shadow of doubt exists, are those of creatures which are altogether unknown to modern science, and some of them are highly curious. Serpents seem to have been a special hobby of Seba's; and he has delineated a vast number of species. Among them are two[141] about which a singular interest hangs. They are of rather small size; the one pale yellow, marked with oval reddish spots, the other reddish, with five green transverse bands. The head in each case has a horny-pointed muzzle, and the cheeks are furnished with depending wattles of a coral-red hue.