a fabulous kind of egg, said to be produced by the saliva of a cluster of serpents, and possessed of certain magical virtues. The superstition in respect to these was very prevalent among the ancient Britons, and there still remains a strong tradition of it in Wales. The account Pliny gives of it is as follows:

"Præterea est ovorum genus in magna Galliarum fama, omnium Graecis. Angues innumeris sefatæ convoluti, salivis faucium corporumque spumis artifici complexa glomerantur: anguinum appellatur. Druidæ libellis id dicunt in sublime jactari, fagogo oportere intercipi, ne tellurem attingat: profugere raptorum equo: serpentes enim infecqui, donee accantur annis aliquibus interveniant."—Of which the following may serve as a translation: (from Maser's Caratacus; the person speaking, a Druid.)

But tell me yet From the grot of charms and spells, Where our matron sifter dwells, Breezes, has thy holy hand Safely brought the Druid wand, And the potent Adder-bone, Gender'd 'fore the autumnal moon? When, in undulating twine, The foaming snakes prolific join; When they hiss, and when they hear Their wound'rous egg aloof in air; Thence before to earth it fall, The Druid in his hallow'd pall, Receives the prize, And instant flies, Follow'd by the venom'd breed, 'Till he crost the crystal flood.

This wondrous egg seems to be nothing more than a bead of glass, used by the Druids as a charm to impose on the vulgar, whom they taught to believe, that the possessor would be fortunate in all his attempts, and that it would gain him the favour of the great.

Our modern Druidesses (says Mr Pennant, from whom we extract) give much the same account of the ovum anguinum, glain neidr, as the Welsh call it, or the adder-gem, as the Roman philosopher does; but seem not to have so exalted an opinion of its powers, using it only to afflit children in cutting their teeth, or to cure the chin-cough, or to drive away an ague.

These beads are of a very rich blue colour; some plain, others streaked. For their figure, see Plate XXIV. (B.) fig. 22. n° 1, 2, 3.