THE SNAKE. 203 



ON SNAKES, THEIR FANGS, AND THEIR 

 MODE OF PROCURING FOOD. 



MR. TAYLOR, in his paper which appeared in The 

 Magazine of Natural History, vol. viii. p. 529 54-1., 

 says, " I have repeatedly endeavoured to verify 

 Mr. Audubon's account of the rattlesnake ascending 

 trees, which has been confirmed." Now, a great 

 part of that account by Audubon consists of the 

 description of a rattlesnake chasing a squirrel up 

 and down a tree. Does Mr. Taylor wish us to un- 

 derstand^ that this part of the account has been 

 confirmed by him ? I ask this necessary question, 

 because I cannot suppose that Mr. Taylor would 

 spend his time in repeatedly endeavouring to verify 

 the simple fact that rattlesnakes ascend trees. The 

 fact is already as well established as is the existence 

 of the rattlesnake itself. The merest novice in 

 zoology must know that the muscular power in the 

 bodies of snakes enables them to ascend trees. I 

 anxiously wait for Mr. Taylor's reply. If he has 

 actually seen a rattlesnake chasing its prey up and 

 down a tree, then I will own that I have hitherto 

 been completely in the dark with regard to snakes ; 

 and that all the time which I have spent in studying 

 their habits, while I was in the forests of Guiana, 

 has been unprofitable and of no avail. If, on the 

 contrary, Mr. Taylor informs us that his experience 

 goes no farther than to verify the fact that snakes 



