no Of the fascinating FACULTY 



the chewlnk, or ground-robin*. In another inrtance, 

 he law a ground -fquirrel -f taken out of one of thefe rep- 

 tiles. In every other cafe, fo long as the food retained 

 enough of the form to be diftinguifhed, the ftomach was 

 found to contain the great-frog, which I have men- 

 tioned. 



Another argument againft the fafcinating power of the 

 ferpent-tribe ftill remains to be confidered. 



It is natural to inquire, for what purpofe nature has 

 endued ferpents with the fuppofed powers of fafcinating 

 birds, and other animals ? The anfwer to this queftion is 

 uniform. Itisfaid, the power is given that the ferpents 

 inay obtain their food. Let us examine this opinion. 



Admitting the exiftcnce of this power, I Ihould have 

 no hcfitation in believing, that its ufe is what is here men- 

 tioned, though, indeed, it ought not to be concealed, 

 that fnakes are fuppofed, by lome foolifli people, to have 

 the power of charming even children. And yet, I be- 

 lieve, there are no inflances recorded of our American 

 fnakes devouring children. If, then, nature, in the im- 

 menfity of her kindnefs, had gifted the ferpents with this 

 wonderful power, we fliould, at leafl:, exped; to find that 

 the common and principal food of thefe ferpents was 

 thofe animals, viz. birds and fquirrels, upon which this 

 influence is generally obferved to be exerted. This, 

 however, is by no means the cafe. 



As connedted with this part of my memoir, it will not 

 be improper to obferve, that all our ferpents are the food 

 of different kinds of birds. Even, the rattle-fnake, whofe 

 poilon produces fuch alarming fymptoms in man,, and 

 i>dver animals, is frequently devoured by fome of our 

 ftronger and more courageous birds.. As far as I can; 



* This is tiie Fringlllri erythrop]ithalina of Linnius. 

 C The Sciurus Rriatua of LinriKus. 



Isaraj, 



