92 Of the fascinating FACULTY 



of ferpents, the coriCluuons which he would have drawn 

 from his experiments, juft mentioned, would have been 

 fomewhat different. But of this I cannot be certain, 

 and, therefore, I fliall not avail myfelf of the fuppo- 

 fition. 



Some experiments, which have been made in this 

 city, do not accord with thofe of Mr. Vcfmaer. The 

 birds, which were put into the cage that contained the 

 rattle-fnake, flew or ran from the reptile, as though they 

 were fenfible of the danger to which they were expofed. 

 The fnake made many attempts to catch the birds, but 

 could feldom fucceed. When a dead bird was thrown 

 into the cage, the fnake devoured it immediately. He 

 foon caught and devoured a living mole, an animal much 

 more fluggifli than the bird. A few days fince, I had 

 an opportunity of obferving the following circumftance. 

 A fmall bird, our inow-bird *, had been put into a cage 

 containing a large rattle-fnake. The little animal had 

 been thus imprifoned for feveral hours, when I firft faw 

 it. It exhibited no figns of fear, but hopped about from 

 the floor of the cage to its rooft, and frequently flew and 

 fat upon the fnake's back. Its chirp was no ways tremu- 

 lous ; but perfedlly natural : it ate the feeds which were 

 put into the cage, and by its whole actions, I think, 

 raoll evidently demonftrated, that its fituation was not 

 xmeafy. 



I do not relate this latter fact with any intention to 

 difprove the notion, that the rattle-fnake poffeffes the 

 faculty of charming. For the obfervation was made on 

 the feventeenth of lafl: month, which is fomewhat earlier 

 than the time when our fnakes ufually come out of their 

 dens. The fnake, too, which was the fubjedl of the 

 experiment, appeared to be very languid, and had not 



* The Emberiza hyemalis of Linnicus. 



2 eaten 



