This which We Dissected was sent to Mr. Henry Loades, a Merchant in London, from Virginia; who was pleased not only to gratify the curiosity of the R. Society in shewing it them alive, but likewise gave it them when dead, and so afforded them an opportunity of farther satisfaction in observing the inward parts of it; which I find so conformable in almost all respects to those of a Viper, that I have taken the liberty of placing it in that Classe, and (since it has not yet, that I know of, any Latine Name) of giveing it that of Vipera Caudisona; for as I am inform'd by Merchants, 'tis Viviparous, and the Epithet sufficiently differences it from those that have no Rattle, although of these too there ought to be made a Subdivision. But I shall concern my self at present only with the Anatomy, which I think is yet given by None: tho to me it seems the most principal part in a Natural History of Animals: and for other Accounts I shall refer to Georg. Marcgravius, Gul. Piso, Johnston, Nierembergius, Joan de Laet, Fran. Hernandez, and others that have wrot of it; who describe it under the Names of Boiçininga, or Boiçinininga, and Boiquira, which are the Brasile Names. By the Portugues's 'tis called Cascavela and Tangador: by the Dutch, Raëtel-Schlange: by those of Mexico, Teutlacocauhqui, or Teuhtlacotzauhqui, (i.e.) Domina Serpentum, and from its swift motion on the Rocks like the Wind, Hoacoatl.

As for fabulous Birds, such as are confessedly so, viz. Phenixes, Griffins, Harpyes, Ruk, and the like, I have omitted them, as being no part of our sub­ject, and all that can be said of them having been more than once written already. I have also omitted some that I only suspected for fictitious, as the Scythian Bird, the Aquila Heteropus, &c. Yet because I would not rely too much upon my own judgment, I have put in the Appendix the descriptions of some of that nature out of Hernandez, which I refer to the Readers censure.