ihe Rattlefnakey and other American Serpents. 295 



trees or not, induces him to believe the latter to be the cafe. 

 The rattlel'nake," Mr. Blumenbach continues, " is alfo one 

 of the lazieft of all the ferpent tribe ; under thefe circum- 

 ftances it feems very natural that fuch a lazy animal fliould 

 be endowed with the fafcinaling power of bringing down 

 from trees fmall animals, which otherwiie would have no- 

 thing to fear from a fnake that cannot creep upwards." 



It is trui*, as I have aflerted, that the rattlcfnake is one of 

 the moft lluggifh fpecies offcrpeuts; and further inquiries 

 have confirmed me in mv former opinion, that this ferpent 

 does not climb up trees. But if Mr. Blumenbach had re- 

 collefted what I have fo particularly faid on the fnbjeft of 

 the nidification of our birds*, he would not, I prefume, 

 have imagined that it is at all neccflary that the ferpent 

 fliouId be endowed with " a fafcinating power of bringing 

 down from trees ftnall animals." I have fhown that the 

 rattlefnake feeds upon bull-frogs, which are never found 

 upon trees; upon the ground-fquirrel, which is moft com- 

 monly found upon the ground ; and upon rhe fringilla ery- 

 throphthalma, or ground-robin, a f|)ecics of finch, which 

 receives its comirjon Englifli name from its being fo gene- 

 rally feen upon the ground f. I ni'iy now add, that this 

 reptile feeds upon young rabbits (Icpus americanus), wild 

 mice of different kinds, moles (forex aquaticus), and many 

 other fmall animals, which it cannot have much trouble ia 

 obtaining without its polfeffing the power of charming. 



But although the rattlefnake is, in reality,, a (luggiTh rep- 

 tile, it is neverthelefs an animal of more activity than Mr. 

 Blumenbach fecms to imagine. 1 believe it is true, as the 

 old Indian % informed Mr. Heckewelder, that in the fpring 

 feafon thefe reptiles make confiderable journeys from their 

 dens in fearch of food. I know it to be a faft, that they 

 fwim acrofs ftreams of water, and even over large rivers. It 

 is obferved by the hunters and others, that the rattlefnake 

 fwims fader than it moves on the land. Indeed, it feems 

 to run upon the furface of the water. It is very probable 

 that in thefe watery peregrinations it may occalionally have 

 opportunities of catching certain kind:? of fifli. But this is 

 a mere conje6lure, which al prefent 1 am incapable ot lup- 

 porting by any decided faft. 



I have obferved in my niemoir, that '^ among the Indians 

 of South America I do not find any traces of the notion that 

 fcrpents can fafcinate other animals." Mr. Blumenbach, 



A Memoir, a^c. pages 50, 51, 51, 53. f I^''^' F^S*^* ^3 a"'! 64, 

 + Sec page 31, 



U 4 however. 



