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The Rattle snake, being less nimble than others* 

 xvould find difficulty in getting its prey, were it not 

 for the singular provision made by the rattle in lik 

 tail. When he sees a squirrel or bird on a tree, he 

 gets to the bottom, and shakes this instrument. The 

 creature looking down sees the terrible eye of the 

 snake bent full upon it. ft trembles, and never at- 

 tempts to escape, but keeps its eye upon the destroyer 

 till tired with hopping from bough to bough, it falls 

 down, and is devoured. Indeed the same power is 

 in the viper. The field mice, and other animals, which 

 are its natural food, if they have once seen his eyes, 

 never escape, but either stand still or run into its 

 mouth. 



But Vipers in general, will not eat, after they are 

 under confinement. The viper-catchers throw them 

 together into great bins, where they live many months 

 though they eat nothing. It is only a female viper 

 when big with young, that will eat during its con. 

 finement. If a mouse be thrown into the bin, at the 

 bottom of which forty or fifty vipers are crawjing, 

 among which one is with young, she alone will med- 

 dle with it, and she not immediately. The rest pass 

 it by, without any regard, though it be their natural 

 food. But the female, after she has done this several 

 limes, will at length begin to eye it. Yet she passes 

 by it again, but soon after stops short, and holding 

 her head facing that of the mouse, seems ready to 

 dart at it, which however she never does, but opens 

 her mouth, and brandishes her tongue. Her eyes 

 having now met those of the mouse^ she never loses 

 sight of it more, but they face one another, and the 

 viper advance's with her open mouth, nearer and 

 nearer, till, without making any leap, she takes in the 

 head, and afterward the whole body. 



A common snake will avoid a man, but a rattle- 

 snake never turns out of the way. His eye has 

 something so terrible in it, that there is no looking 

 stedfastly [at him. But he creeps very slow, with his 



