580 ON THE FASCINATING FACULTY 



witnefs to the fafclnating power of any of the ferpent-tribe. 

 He feems to have received the tale from fome of his many 

 pupils, w^hom he animated with the love of natural hiftory. 

 It IS probable that Kalm, whom Linnaeus quotes upon various 

 occafions, and whom he could not but efteem, principally con- 

 tributed to fix his illuftrious mafter*s credulity in this refpe6l : 

 for, in different parts of his Travels, this induftrious author 

 has given his decided aflent to the tale; and he informs us, 

 that he has treated of the fame fubjea, more fully, in a treatife 

 which 15 printed in the Memoirs of the Royal Swedifh Academy 

 of Sciences, for the year 1753 *. 



^^'^Th^f^""' Kalm is candid enough to tell us, that he never fa w an in- 



ports^t, ^ "^' fiance of ttje fafcinating power of the ferpent-kind. " How-, 

 ever," fays he, ** I have a lift of more than twenty perfons, 

 among which are fome of the moft creditable people, who have 

 all unanimoufly, though living far diftant from each other, 

 afferted the fame thing f ." He then goes on to tell us a long 

 ftory, ftmilar to that which I have related, in the beginning 

 of this memoir, and which, therefore, it is not necefiary to 

 repeat, in this place. 



and fpeculatcs Our author is not content to make mere mention of the fad ; 



"P°°'* he undertakes to fpeculate upon it. And here, although a 



talent for ingenious reafoning is, certainly, not the moft ftrik- 

 ing feature that is difplayed in the Travels of Kalm, he acquits 

 himfelf, for fome time, very judicioufly; but fpoils all he has 

 faid, by concluding, that the bird or fquirrel *' are only en^ 

 chanted, whilit the fnake has its eyes fixed on them.t" He 

 allows that " this looks odd and unaccoiintable, though," 

 fays he, " many of the worthieft and moft reputable people 

 have related it, and though it is fo univerfally believed here,'' 

 that is hi New-Jerfey, &c. '* that to doubt it would be to ex- 

 pofe one's felf to general laughter §." 



Several American writers have adopted the notion, that 

 fnakes are endued with a fafcinating faculty. Fearful that 

 their authority may extend the empire of this error, I have 

 been the more anxious to offer my fentiments on the fubjec^ to 

 the fociety |[. 



It 

 * Travels into North- America, &c. vol. i. p. 3J8 & 319. 

 t Ibid. vol. ii. p. 207 & 208. 

 X Travels into North-America, &c. vol. ii. p. 210. 

 § Ibid. 



II Speaking of the rattle-fnake, my worthy friend Mr. William 



Bartram 



