Penfyhania, near Germantown. 319 



Sciences, in the Volume for the year 1753, 

 I therefore am not fo circumitantial here. 

 The fame power of enchanting is afcribed 

 to that kind of fnake, which is commonly 

 called the black fnake in America, and it is 

 faid to catch and devour fquirrels in the 

 fame manner as the former."* 



But thefe little animals do confiderable 

 damage to the maize, not only whilft it is 

 upon the ftalk, as I have before obferved, 

 but even when it is brought home into the 

 barns : for if they can come at it without 

 any obflacle, they can in a few nights bring 

 a whole bufhel away into their lurking 

 holes. The government in moll of the 

 North America?! colonies, has therefore 

 been obliged to offer a certain premium, to 

 be paid out of the common treafury, for the 

 head of a fquirrel. It feems inconceivable 

 what a fum of money has been paid for 

 grey and black fquirrel's heads, in the pro- 

 vince 



* It has been obferved, that only fuch fquirrels and birds 

 as have their nefts near the place where fuch fnakes come to, 

 make this pitiful noife, and are fo bufy in running up and 

 down the tree and the neighbouring branches, in order to 

 draw off the attention of the fnake from their brood, and of- 

 ten they come fo very near in order to fly away again, that 

 being within reach of the fnakes, they are at laft bit, poi- 

 foned and devoured ; and this will, I believe, perfectly 

 account for the powers of fafcinating birds and fmall creatures 

 in the fnakes. F. 



