RATTLESNAKE HISTORY. 283 



Country. The Rattle-Snakes are accounted the peaceablest 

 in the World, for they never attack any One or injure them 

 unless trodden upon or molested. The most Danger of being 

 bit by these Snakes is for those that survey Land in 

 Carolina ; yet I never heard of any Surveyor that was 

 killed or hurt by them. I have myself gone over several of 

 this Sort ; yet it pleased God I never came to any Harm. 

 They have the Power or Art (I know not which to call it) to 

 charm Squirrels, Hares, Partridges, or any such Thing, in such 

 a Manner that they run directly into their Mouths. This I 

 have seen,' and so forth. . . ' Rattle-Snakes have many small 

 Teeth of which I cannot see they make any Use ; for they 

 swallow every Thing whole ; but the Teeth which poison are 

 only four ; two on each side of their Upper-Jaws. These 

 are bent like a Sickle, and hang loose, as if by a Joint. 

 Towards the setting on of these, there is in each Tooth a 

 little Hole, wherein you may just get in the Point of a small 

 Needle. And here it is that the Poison comes out and 

 follows the Wound made by the Point of their Teeth. 

 They are much more venomous in the Months of June and 

 July than they are in March, April, or September. The 

 hotter the Weather the more poisonous. Neither may we 

 suppose they can renew their Poison as oft as they will ; for 

 we have had a Person bit by one of these who never rightly 

 recovered it, and very hardly escaped with Life ; and a 

 second Person bit in the same Place by the same Snake and 

 received no more Harm than if bitten with a Rat. They cast 

 their Skins every Year and commonly abide in the Place 

 where the old Skin lies. These cast Skins are used for 

 Physick, and the Rattles are reckoned good to expedite the 



