Folio 68v - De scitali serpente; Of the snake called scitalis. De anphivena; Of the anphivena. De ydro; Of the ydrus. and Folio 68v - the ydrus, continued. De boa angue; Of the snake called boas.

COMMENTARY

Scitalis has a glittering skin. The Anphivena has two heads, one at each end. The Ydrus lives in the Nile.

Illustration

Three pictures. The scitalis has a dog's head, wings and two feet. The anphivena is shown with two heads, wings and claws. The ydrus is killing a crocodile by crawling into its mouth and tearing it apart.

Comment

In the margin, beside the scitalis text is the sketch of a pointed reptile's wing. Anphivena are in fact limbless lizards, wormlike creatures with rounded head and tail and can move in two directions. This animal is pricked for pouncing. No animal attacks the crocodile in the manner described by the ydrus but the large Nile monitor lizard eats crocodile eggs, and the many types of Nilotic worm crawl in and out of the flesh of dead animals. The word 'ictrie' is written on the body of ydrus. This means icturus or jaundice yellow. Red 'S' and 'A' in the left margin are guides for the initial, type 2.

COMMENTARY

The ydris kills crocodiles. Boas kill by sucking the life out of cows through their udders. The jaculus.

Illustration

The boa is designed as a spiral coiled lizard, with wings and feet. The jaculus, which is a snake that flies from trees, is shown as a lifeless stick. The black and green whip snake climbs, jumps and swims. It is called a flying serpent although it merely leaps.Marginal correction, top right, percussi [supplies omission 'struck']. Initial type 2.