Dr. Hancock's Remarks on Snake-Poisons. 335 



similar to that of the maporiti (polecat), warm and biting to 

 the taste, famed against spasms, or cold and spasmodic disor- 

 ders, and against the bites of snakes especially. 



I may here observe, that the rattle-snake, it would seem, 

 now constitutes one of the numerous articles of commerce from 

 North America*. I read lately, in an American paper, a notice 

 of an agreement for the supply of a certain number of good 

 merchantable live rattle-snakes ! I am told, that there are, or 

 were, not long since, not less than one hundred in the Tower. 

 What they are to do with such a number of these vile reptiles, 

 whose bite is present death, 1 know not. I should think it not 

 at all improbable that, in such a traffic, in moving them from 

 the vessel and shifting them from one place to another, some 

 of them might by chance get loose, and disseminate their spe- 

 cies here f, the climate being perfectly congenial. They are 

 found, I presume, as far north as Canada. I know they in- 

 habit New Hampshire ; a rocky elevation, near the town of 

 Romney, in that State, is called Rattle-snake Mount, from the 

 number of these reptiles found there, where the mean tempera- 

 ture is nearly the same as it is in England. The species 

 found there is, I believe, the crotalus horridus, thought to be 

 the most venomous of all. 



On coming from Wiveliscombe, in October 1828, being 

 with several gentlemen on the outside of the coach, and passing 

 a little to the eastward of Taunton, I observed a gentleman's 

 seat on the north side of the road, with a very neat and verdant 

 plat of grass, and a pond of water. One of the passengers re- 

 marked, that near this pool, he had, some time previously, 

 assisted in killing a rattle-snake. I thought this extraordinary, 

 and inquired what kind of a snake it was. His description 

 corresponded precisely with that of the rattle-snake; it had five 

 or six joints or rattles at the tail, as it were, he said, strung close 

 together I I regretted afterwards not having got his name or 



• I think the traffic merits the attention of the Legislature, either to prohibit or 

 impose a heavy duty upon it. 



f From the carelessness of the sailors, the reptiles might be dropped overboard 

 Qtx the coast, or ascending the Thames, the Mersey, or the Severn, and find their 

 way ashore ; the serpent tribe, in general, being amphibious and good swimmers. 

 1 may notice, that the Colucunaru of the Arowaks (Boa Constrictor) is never 

 found iu the water; but if caught and thrown in, it swims with wonderful 

 celerity. 



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