64 THF. RATTI.E-SNAKF.. 



enough, tVom its singularity. Cold weather had commenced, and lie lay 

 torpid and flattened out as if his skin were all that was remaining of 

 him ; but, upon being brought into a warm room, he soon recovered his 

 activity and rotundity. A young chick was introduced, and, for a time, 

 occupied itself in picking up some small grains that lay upon the bottom 

 of the cage. By degrees it approached nearer and nearer, and at last, 

 very deliberately stepped upon his coils. The snake crept quietly 

 away, very much to the astonishment, not only of ourselves, but of the 

 chicken, for it eyed its black perch moving off from beneath it with 

 such a serio-coraical air, that we could not repress a hearty laugh. But 

 this was not all. The chick followed up, and trod all over his majesty, 

 whose bile now evidently began to rise, for his eyes brightened and he 

 twitched away with a sudden movement. They were soon brought to- 

 gether again, when insulted dignity, after bearing a great deal, could no 

 longer brook being trampled upon, and he fastened his fangs in the 

 chicken's neck. It had been making some noise before, in its anxiety 

 to get out, but, upon this, became entireW quiet and walked to the other 

 end of the cage. Evidently, if it reasonS at all in the matter, it seemed 

 altogether perplexed to account for the peculiar sensation in its neck, 

 for although the wound did not prove mortal, it gave evidence of its 

 existence by an occasional uneasy twitching, and a very grave deport- 

 ment. Cuvier says, that the intensity of the venom is proportioned to 

 the warmth of the season ; and, as it was now late in the Fall, this may 

 account for the failure of the poison's doing its usual work. In about 

 half an hour, the efTects seemed to have disappeared \ and again the 

 same scenes ensued ; the snake, either through intimidation or an indis- 

 position to strike, appearing to avoid a contact. At one time, whilst 

 he was moving from one end of the cage to the other, where stood the 

 chicken, it watched its movements closely, and, as he approached, low- 

 ering its head, ran forward and pecked at his eyes. We caught our- 

 selves saying, "what a fool !" But the snake, at length, would no long- 

 er submit to such aggressions, and, upon a repetition of them, struck at 

 the chicken, but without effect, as it was the thick feathery part of the 

 wing he touched. Another effort proved more successful, and the poor 

 chick struggled for some time before it released its head from the mon- 

 ster's jaws. The snake appeared to feel that he had settled the matter 

 now, for, after having opened his horrid mouth to its full extent, as if to 

 get all right again, he quietly coiled himself away in one corner. But 

 he was mistaken, for although the chicken became quite weak, it survi- 

 ved a full half hour; when we put an end to its misery and the scene 

 at once. The suiike would not touch it afterwards. 



