BANDED RATTLE-SNAKE. 



lively piercing eyes upon one or other of them, 

 that they have no power to get away, but leap 

 about, from bough to bough, till they are quite 

 tired, and at last, falling to the ground, they are 

 snapped into his mouth. This is by the people 

 of the country called charming the squirrels and 



birds." 



Dr. Barton, professor of natural history in the 

 University of Pensylvania, in a memoir on the sup- 

 posed fascinating power of the Rattle-Snake, ima- 

 gines the whole to be no more than the fluttering 

 of old birds in defence of their young, and which 

 are themselves occasionally caught by the Rattle- 

 Snake in consequence of too near an approach. 



" Of the fascinating power of the Rattle- 

 Snake," says Mr. Pennant*, " it is difficult to 

 speak: authors of credit describe the effects. 

 Birds have been seen to drop into its mouth, 

 squirrels descend from their trees, and leverets 

 run into its jaws. Terror and amazement seem to 

 lay hold on these little animals: they make vio* 

 lent efforts to get away, still keeping their eyes 

 fixed on those of the snake; at length, wearied 

 with their movements, and frightened out of all 

 capacity of knowing the course they ought to 

 take, become at length the prey of the expecting 

 devourer ; probably in their last convulsive mo- 

 tion." The same author observes, that Rattle- 

 Snakes in general swarm in the less inhabited 

 parts of North America ; but are now almost ex- 



* Arct. Zool. suppl. 88. 



