ASCRIBED TO THE RATLE-SNAKE, Sec. . 89 



that after efcaping, it manifefted, by its cries and its agi- 

 tation, the violent adion of the poiibn left in its blood, 

 iUid diftufed through its circulation, by the envenomed 

 inoculation of the reptile's tooth; that, its ftrength gra- 

 dually decaying, it would fly or leap from, branch to 

 branch, till finally exhaufted it would fall before the fcr- 

 pent, who with inflamed eyes, and eager looks, would 

 watch attentively every motion, and then dart on his 

 prey, when it retained but a fmall portion of life. Seve- 

 ral obfervations related by travellers, and particularly a 

 fail mentioned by Kalm, appear to confirm this." * 



From this long quotation, it appears that Mr. de la 

 Cepede adopts two modes, or circumfl:ances, for explain- 

 ing the miraculous power, which has been attributed to 

 thefe ferpents. The explanation is, undoubtedly, in 

 both cafes, ingenious, and entitled to notice. I iliall exa- 

 mine the quefl;ion with that attention which it deferves. 



In the firfl place, my learned friend fuppofes, that the 

 rattle-fnake's infedlious breath -f-, by agitating the little 

 animals which it means to devour, may prevent their 

 efcape. 



I do not altogether underftand this exprefljon of an 

 infedlious breath. I do not think that v\ e are in pofliif- 

 lion of any fadls by which it can be proved, that the 

 breath of the rattle-lnake is, in general, more infedious, 

 or peftiferous, than that of many other animals, whe- 

 ther of the fame or of a different family. I know, in- 

 deed, that in fome of the larger fpecies of ferpents, in- 

 habiting South-America, and other countries, there is 



low them down." Philofophical TranfaSions, \o\. xxxviii. no. 433. Mr. de 

 la Ccpede does not appear to have feen Sloane's paper. 



* Hiftoire Naturelle des Serpens, p. 409, 410 & 41 1. a Paris : 1789. 



T His words are, " fon haleine empeftee, cjui trouble quelquefois les pe- 

 tits animaux dont il veut fe faifir, peut aufl'i eroptcher qu'ils ne lui cchap- 

 pent." p. 409. 



evolved 



