called here pica) armadillo, alligators, iguanas (called quittee)
lizards, serpents, toads, frogs, and a sort of amphibious creatures
called by the Portuguese cachoras-de-agua, in English water-dogs.

LEOPARDS AND TIGERS.

The leopards and tigers of this country are said to be large and very
fierce: but here on the coast they are either destroyed or driven back
towards the heart of the country; and therefore are seldom found but in
the borders and out-plantations, where they oftentimes do mischief. Here
are three or four sorts of monkeys, of different sizes and colours. One
sort is very large; and another sort is very small: these last are ugly
in shape and feature and have a strong scent of musk.

OF THEIR SERPENTS; THE RATTLESNAKE, SMALL GREEN SNAKE. AMPHISBAENA, SMALL
BLACK AND SMALL GREY SNAKE; THE GREAT LAND-SNAKE, AND THE GREAT
WATERSNAKE; AND OF THE WATER-DOG.

They have here also the amphisbaena, or two-headed snake, of a grey
colour, mixed with blackish stripes, whose bite is reckoned to be
incurable. It is said to be blind, though it has two small specks in each
head like eyes: but whether it sees or not I cannot tell. They say it
lives like a mole, mostly underground; and that when it is found above
ground it is easily killed, because it moves but slowly: neither is its
sight (if it hath any) so good as to discern anyone that comes near to
kill it: as few of these creatures fly at a man or hurt him but when he
comes in their way. It is about 14 inches long and about the bigness of
the inner joint of a man's middle finger; being of one and the same
bigness from one end to the other, with a head at each end (as they said;
for I cannot vouch it, for one I had was cut short at one end) and both