894 On the fascinating Power of Snakes, 



and animals by means of its rattle ; and they attribute the 

 whole charm to the terror produced by the sound of that 

 organ. It is said moreover that the young Indians place a 

 jreed in their mouths, and imitate the noise made by the 

 rattlesnake; by which means they are enabled to catch 

 squirrels and small birds. By attributing the whole en- 

 chantment to fear, the above, account will not seem im- 

 probable, as it is as easy to conceive that small birds 

 and squirrels may be stupefied by the terror arising from 

 the known sound of thp rattle, as irom the eight of the 

 serpent. 



Could any doubt remain in the minds of my readers that 

 fear is sufficient to account for the effect, I think the fol- 

 lowing extract from Drinkwater's Siege of Gibraltar will 

 remove it. Speaking of the destruction occasioned by the 

 falling of bomb-shells, he mentions the following remark- 

 able circumstances : " In other cases in wjiich the persons 

 themselves have observed the shot or shells coining towards 

 them, they have been fascinated by its appearance, and 

 unable to move from the spot, as small birds are said to be 

 by the rattlesnake. This sudden arrest of the faculties was 

 nothing uncommon : several instances occurred to my ob- 

 servation, where men totally free have had their senses so 

 engaged by a shell in its descent, that though sensible of 

 their danger, even so far as to cry for assistance, they have 

 been immoveably fixed to their place. But what is more 

 remarkable, these men have so instantaneously recovered 

 themselves on its fall to the ground, as to remove to a place 

 of safety before the shell burst. In this manner lieutenant 

 Lowe of the 12th regiment was fascinated by a shot which 

 he saw coming, but had not power to remove from the 

 place before it fell upon him and took off his leg/* 



As the sight of a ball or shell coming towards a man pro- 

 duces the same effect as the sight of a rattlesnake, why not 

 attribute it to the same cause ? In the case of a ball or shell 

 the cause must be undoubtedly fear ; therefore we may con- 

 clude that the rattlesnake docs not fascinate by any pccu T 

 liar property inherent in it, but from the terror which it 

 occasions by its approach. 



Yours, &c. 

 Arnold, Notts, ■ John Topli? .. 



Sqntraber si, 1804. 



LXIII. Pro. 



