. The book of a naturalist [microform]. Sciences naturelles; Natural history; Animal behavior; Animaux. f 170 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST produced by deep dear water when gazed on steadily and for a long time which may have given rise to the African superstition of the Icanti already mentioned. Among some North American tribes there also existed a belief in a serpent of enormous size that reposed at the bottom of some river or lake, and once every year rose to the surface showing a shining splendid stone on his head. The mountains, too, have their serpent-shaped guardians: thus, it was believed b
. The book of a naturalist [microform]. Sciences naturelles; Natural history; Animal behavior; Animaux. f 170 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST produced by deep dear water when gazed on steadily and for a long time which may have given rise to the African superstition of the Icanti already mentioned. Among some North American tribes there also existed a belief in a serpent of enormous size that reposed at the bottom of some river or lake, and once every year rose to the surface showing a shining splendid stone on his head. The mountains, too, have their serpent-shaped guardians: thus, it was believed by the neigh- bouring tribes that a huge camoodi, or boa, rested its league-long coils on the flat top of the table mountain of Roraima in Venezuela. Doubtless a serpent of cloud and mist; of the white vapour that, forming at the summit, dropped down in a long coil, or crept earthwards along t*>e deep fissures that score the precipitous sides. Other beliefs of this kind might be adduced, and other resemblances to the serpent's form and motion in nature traced, but enough on this point has been said. If it is due to these resemblances that the savage is disposed to see the life and intelligent spirit he attributes to Nature, and to all natural objects, take the serpent form, may we not believe that the serpent-myths of the earlier civilised races originated in the same way ? Doubt- less in many cases, with the development of the reasoning powers and the decay of the mythical faculty, the fable would be somewhat changed in form and embellished, and perhaps come at last to be regarded as merely symbolical. But sym-. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Hudson, W. H. (William Henry), 1841-1922. London ; Toronto : Hodder and Stoughton
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