OF NORTH CAROLINA. 211 



They are white and would make pretty snuff box- 

 es, if wrought by an artist. After the tail of the 

 alligator is separated from the body, it will move 

 very freely for four days. 



The rattle snakes are found on all the main of 

 America, that I ever had any account of; being 

 so called from the rattle at the end of their tails, 

 which is a connection of jointed coverigns, of an 

 excrementitious matter, betwixt the substance of 

 a nail and a horn, though each tegmen is very 

 thin. Nature seems to have designed these on 

 purpose to give warning of such an approaching 

 danger, as the venomous bite of these snakes is. 

 Some of them grow to a very great bigness, as 

 six feet in length, their middle being the thick- 

 ness pf the small of a lusty man's leg. We have 

 an account of much larger serpents of this kind ; 

 but I never met them yet, although I nave seen 

 and killed abundance in my time. They are of 

 an orange, tawney and blackish color on the 

 back ; differing as all snakes do, in color on the 

 belly ; being of an ash color inclining to leadL 

 The male is easily distinguished from the female, 

 by a black velvet spot on his head, and besides, 

 his head is smaller shaped and long. Their bite 

 is venomous if not speedily remedied, especially 

 if the wound be in a vain, nerve, tendon or sinew, 

 when it is very difficult to cure. The Indians are 

 the best physicians for the bite of these and all 

 other venomous creatures of this country. There 

 are four sorts of snake roots already discovered, 



