100 MARITIME OBSERVATIONS. 
till they recovered their vivacity, although they loft mucls 
air in coming, up the fpecific gravity was therefore much 
lefs than at bottom, and this was probably owing to the 
diftenfion of the found. ‘That fith rife and fink in the 
water, by this power of increafing and diminifhing their 
bulk, and confequently their fpecific gravity, is well 
known to naturalifts, but I was pleafed to fee the truth of 
that fat confirmed hy thefe experiments. 
JONA. WILLIAMS, Jun. 
NOs, Bake 
An account of the moft effectual means of preventing the de= 
letcrious confequences of the bite of the CROTALUS Hor- 
RIDUS*, or RATTLE-SNAKE. By BENJAMIN SMITH 
Barton, M.D. 
Read Aug. URING my paflage through feveral of 
ible the weftern fettlements of Pennfylvania, and 
the adjoining States, in the year 1785, I made it an ob- 
jet of attention to acquire every poffible information re- 
fpecting the effects of the poifon of the RatTLe-SNAKE, 
and the methods of prevention, orof cure, which are com- 
monly employed in thofe parts of our country. A very 
confiderable number of vegetables were either mentioned, 
or fhown, to me, all of which, I was affured, were good 
for the bites of Snakes. Without being much of the fkep- 
tick 
* TL think it proper to confine my remarks to this fpecies of RatTLz-SNaxr, becaufe it is 
that with which I am beft acquainted; becaufe it isthe moft common {pecies in thofe parts of 
our country which are beft known tome, and becaufe I believe itisthe moft deleterious fpe- 
cies that has yet been difcovered within the limits of the United-States. I have little doubt, 
however, thatthe plan which I have recommended, and the remarks which I have made, 
will equally apply to the Crotalus miliarius, the Crotalus Duriffvs and the other fpecics of this 
formidable family of ferpents which are defcribed by Linnzus, and by other writers, 
