62 



THK RATTLK-.'^.VAKE. ( Crolaliis hoiridus.) 

 liUst Summer, through the generosity of one of our friends, the Lin- 

 naean Cabinet had added to its curiosities, the present of a live rattle- 

 snake. Of course, there was not a little stir at the reception of so im- 

 portant a personage. Many visitors, after having been well assured that 

 the cage was strong, the wire grating well nailed down, and no danger 

 to be apprehended, paid their respects to his snakeship ; so that in a 

 short time he became quite a "lion." He, very naturally, entertained 

 them in his own particular wa}', and, we suppose, the poor fellow never 

 found so much use for his rattles in all his previous life. 



A wish has been expressed by some, to know "hov/ we fed him" — 

 "how he took his food" — "were we not afraid of him, the nasty thing I" 

 &.C. It is with the design of furnishing such information as we are 

 able in reference to these queries, that this communication is written. 

 Previous to this, we never had the honor of serving in the capacity of 

 feeder, &c., to any other animal of importance, except ourself; and, 

 therefore, allowance must be made for any departures from the method 

 "laid down in the books." 



After the lapse of a few weeks, a young ground-squirrel, more dead 

 than alive, was put into the cage and pushed along by means of a wire 

 towards our captive, which in the mean time kept up an incessant rat- 

 tling. The little animal did not appear to relish this much, and strug- 

 gled, though inefiectually, to escape. The attention of the snake did 

 not at first seem directed towards his trembling prey, but as it was 

 brought nearer, raising his head a few inches from the midst of his coil, 

 lie turned that way ; and when within a half-foot, with the suddenness 

 of thought, he struck it across the middle of the body. The squirrel 

 squeaked and sprang upon the coil of the snake, which was now i)cr- 

 fectly quiet, sat there about a minute, and then fell over. The snake 

 lay perfectly still for some time ; and naught but his small black eyes, 

 which had lost their usual dullness and now glistened brightly, gave 

 .any evidence that he was at all concerned in what was going on. By 

 and by, he slowly and silently began to uncoil and move towards the 

 .squirrel, at the head of which he stopped. lie then opened his huge 

 jaws and laying them round the head, commenced the process of swal- 

 lowing. Scarcely, however, had he done so, when alarmed either by a 

 dbnvulsive movement of the squirrel or by some noise in the room, he 

 suddenly threw it sotne distance from him. But he was not thus to be 

 robbed of his meal; and, approaching it again, after having beslimcd it 

 somewhat by darling out his wiry tongue all over il, he conimonccil 

 afresh. In going thiough the process, he contorted his body in the 



