loa Of the FASCINATING FACULTY 



fidcd, for a confiderable time, among the Indians, and 

 they appear to be as ignorant of the circumftance as I 

 am myfelf. I am inclined to think that Mr. Bhimenbach 

 ]ias been irapofed upon : or, perhaps, the following cir- 

 cumftance may have given rife to the ftory. The young 

 Indians put arrows, acrofs, in their mouths, and by the 

 quivering motion of their lips upon the arrows, imitate 

 the noife of young birds, thus bringing the old ones fo 

 near to them, that they can be readily Ihot at. In like 

 manner, the Lanius Excubitor, or great fhrike, hiding 

 itfelf in a thicket, and imitating the ciy of a young bird, 

 often fucceeds in feizing the old ones, which have been 

 iblicited, by the counterfeited noife, to the affiftance of 

 their young. 



Ever fince I have been accuftomed to contemplate the 

 objects of nature with a degree of minute attention, I 

 have confidered the whole ftory of the enchanting faculty 

 of the rattle-fnake, and of other ferpents, as deftitute of 

 a folid foundation. I have attentively liftened to many 

 ftories, which have been related to me as proofs of the 

 do£lrine, by men whofe veracity I could not fufpeft. 

 But there is a ftubborn incredulity often attached to cer- 

 tain minds. In me it was ftrong. The mere force of 

 argument never compelled me to believe. I always fuf- 

 pedted, that there was fome deficiency in the extent of 

 obfervation, and the refult of not a little attention to the 

 fubjed: has taught me, that there is but one wonder in 



the bufinefs ; the wonder that the ftory Ihould 



ever have been believed by a man of underftandlng, and 

 of obfervation. 



In conducting my inquiries into this curious fubjed:, 

 I thought it would be proper, and even neceflary, pre- 

 vioufly to my forming a decided opinion, to alcertain 

 the two following points, viz. firft : what fpecies of birds 

 are moft frequently obferved to be enchanted by the ier- 

 2 pents ? 



