From publisher blurb: The basilisk is a large reptile reputed to be king of serpents and said to have the power to cause death with a single glance.The basilisk is called "king" because it has on its head a crown- shaped crest. Stories of the basilisk show that it is not completely distinguished from the cockatrice. The basilisk is alleged to be hatched by a cockerel from the egg of a serpent or toad (the reverse of the cockatrice, which was hatched from a cockerel's "egg" incubated by a serpent or toad) .