Newjerfey, Raccoon. 207 



when its time of copulation is part, it pur- 

 fues people, efpecially children, if it finds 

 that they are afraid and run from her. 

 Several people likewiie allured me from 

 their own experience, that it may be pro- 

 voked to purfue people, if they throw 

 at it, and then run away. I cannot well 

 doubt of this, as I have heard it faid by 

 numbers of creditable people ; but I could 

 never fucceed in provoking them. I ran 

 always away on perceiving it, or flung 

 fomething at it, and then took to my heels, 

 but I could never bring the fnakes to pur* 

 fue me : I know not for what reafon they 

 fhunned me, unlefs they took me for an 

 artful feducer. 



Moft of the people in this country afcrib- 

 ed to this fnake a power of fafcinating 

 birds and fquirrels, as I have defcribed in 

 feveral parts of my Journal *. When the 

 fnake lies under a tree, and has fixed his 

 eyes on a bird or fquirrel above ; it obliges 

 them to come down, and to go directly into 

 its mouth. I cannot account for this, for 

 I never faw it done. However, I have a 

 lift of more than twenty perfons, among 

 which are fome of the mofl creditable peo- 

 ple, who have all unanimoufly, though 



living 



* See vidL i. p. 519. 



