2o8 May 1749. 



living far diftant from each other, afferted 

 the fame thing ; they affured me upon their 

 honor, that they have feen (at feveral 

 times) thefe Black Snakes fafcinating 

 fquirrels and birds which fat on the tops of 

 trees, the fnake lying at the foot of the 

 tree, with its eyes fixed upon the bird or 

 fquirrel, which fits above it, and utters a 

 doleful note ; from which it is eafy to con- 

 clude with certainty that it is about to be 

 fafcinated, though you cannot fee it. The 

 bird or fquirrel runs up and down along the 

 tree continuing its plaintive fong, and al- 

 ways comes nearer the fnake, whofe eyes 

 are unalterably fixed upon it. It fhould 

 feem as if thefe poor creatures endeavoured 

 to efcape the fnake, by hopping or running 

 up the tree ; but there appears to be a 

 power which withholds them : they are 

 forced downwards, and each time that they 

 turn back, they approach nearer their* 

 enemy, till they are at laft forced to leap 

 into its mouth, which ftands wide open for 

 that purpofe. Numbers of fquirrels and 

 birds are continually running and hopping 

 fearlefs in the woods on the ground, where 

 the fnakes ly in wait for them* and can 

 eafily give thefe poor creatures a mortal 

 bite. Therefore it feems that this fafcina- 

 tion might be thus interpreted, that the 



creature 



