Ptnfy/vanJa, near Germantown. 249 



it begins a doleful outcry, which is fo well 

 known, that a perfon paffing by, on hearing it* 

 immediately knows that it is charmed by a fnake, 

 The fquirrel runs up the tree a little way, comes 

 downwards again, then goes up, and now comes 

 lower again. On that occafion it has been ob- 

 ferved, that the fquirrel always goes down more 

 than it goes up. The fnake ftill continues at the 

 root of the tree, with its eyes fixed on the fquir- 

 rel, with which its attention is fo entirely taken 

 up, that a perfon accidentally approaching, may 

 make a considerable noife, without the fnake's fo 

 much as turning about. The fquirrel as before- 

 mentioned comes always lower, and at laft leaps 

 down to the fnake, whofe mouth is already wide 

 open for its reception. The poor little animal 

 then with a piteous cry runs into the fnake's jaws, 

 and is fwallowed at once, if it be not too big; 

 but if its fize will not allow it to be fwallowed 

 at once, the fnake licks it feveral times with its 

 tongue, and by that means makes it fit for fwal- 

 lowing. Every thing elfe remarkable at this en- 

 chantment, I have defcribed in a treatife infert- 

 ed in the Memoirs of the Royal Swedijh Acade- 

 my of Sciences, in the Volume for the year 1753, 

 I therefore am not fo circumftantial 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 de- 

 vour fquirrels in the fame manner as the for- 

 mer *. 



BUT 



*!T has been obferved,that only fuch fquirrels and birds as have 

 their nefts near the place where iuch fnakes come to, make this 



pit!* 



