APPENDIX. 491 



^ s. This power, whatever it be, feems to be exerted by means of the 

 ?ye of the fnake. " The eye of this reptile, fays Mr. Dudley, (the rat- 

 felefnakc) has fomethinf; fo fmgular and terrible, that there is no looking 

 Aedfaftly upon him."* All the accouni.s agree that no uncommon effeft 

 ifi perceived, till the eye of the animal is fixed on tha: of the ferpent. It 

 fhould fctm frorr» Mr. Beach's and Mr. Willard's accounts, that the eye 

 of the fpeftator is no looner fixed on that of the fnake, than the moll lively 

 and beautiful colours are feen, in the moft engaging and enchanting torms, 

 in large rings, circles, or rolls : and that ihele circular appearances ot the 

 molt beautiful light and coIouTs are gradually diminilhing in their circum- 

 ferences — Hence the encircled animal is condantly taking irregular or 

 circular motions, within the circle of apparent light ; both of which be- 

 come more and more contra£led, till they are brought to a,centre or clofe 

 at the head of the fnake. 



, 3. The operat.ion whatever it may be, takes away the fenfes, or ftupi- 

 fies the animal, on which the operation is carried on. This was the cafe* 

 and to a high degree, with all the perfons mentioned in the above ac- 

 counts. They found themfelves violently affefted, but new not what was. 

 the matter. At the beginning of the fcene they feemed apprehenfive of 

 danger, but foon loft all power, and all inclination, to make any oppoli' ion ;• 

 Nor was there, in a few moments, enough left of the rational or animal 

 powers, to reflect on their fituation, difcern their danger, con':rive a method 

 or make any attempt to efcape. Deprived of feofc and reafon they re- 

 mained fubjcdl to a power v/hich they could not comprehend or oppofe, 

 and yet in great and extreme diflrefi. 



4. Can there be any fubtle efFluvia, poifonous exhalation, or flupifying 

 virus, emitted by the eye of the I'erpcnt, and received by that of the en-, 

 chanted animal, equal to, and producing the uncommon tffefls which have 

 been mentioned. This feems contrary to all the other apooarances of ani- 

 mal nature ; and yet the phenorhena feem to indicate luch a phyfical 

 kind of operation. The body of the boy at New-Jerfev was covered 

 with a violent fwcat. His head was affafled with a d'.zzinefs, and 

 pain : nor did he recover his health for fevera! davs. Mr. W: :ard esca- 

 ped before the fcene was completed ?nd f -und himfclf too mucii alT-fted 

 to fleep the next night ; but could not determine whether it. was owing to 

 the fright, or to a phyfical effeft on the nervous fyftem. In the lady at 

 Lanfmgburgh, the fafcination ilTued in a long fit of -ficknefs, which was 

 not cured in five years. Thefe are phenomena which feern not only to 

 denote phyfical operations, but fuch as were of a very powerful and extra-, 

 ordinary nature ;' and which feem to refemble what was faid of the bafa- 

 lifk by the ancients. 



5. Whether there is any thing in the powers of other animals that re- 

 fembles this faculty in the ferpent, I am not enough acquainted with nat- 

 ural hiftory to determine. Some perfons have mentioned the Bog and the 

 Cal, as exhibiting fome appearances of a fimilar power; but; 1 do not find 

 any fufficient evidence in poof ot it. Nor do I know of any thing in na- 

 ture that approximates to a fimilaritv, except the refemblance in the ef- 

 ic6l which light appears to have on fome animals. 



Some mfcCls wi.'l fly into a burningcandlc, and remain in the flame till 

 elieir wings are ccnfumed, and their bodies buined. The effeft of light 

 isalfo apparesit in fome of the birds. In a barn in which the fi^allows re- 

 fide in ,he fumnier, if a burning candle be carried in the night, the fwal- 

 iows will foon leave their places of reft, and gather round the light. The 



» Phil. Tranf. No, 376, p. 293. 



