^oo REPTILES. 



head, which is foon of a monftrous fize ; the mouth is too fmall to contai'ff 

 the Iwelling tongue ; the eyes are red and fiery ; the heart beats quick, with 

 frequent interruptions ; the pain becomes infupportable ; devouring thirft 

 torments the patient, and water or drink makes it worfe j the fpittlc be- 

 comes bloody : and fome expire under it in five or fix hours s but others, 

 ■who are of ftronger conftitutions, furvive the agony for a few hours 

 longer, only to fink under a general mortification which enfues, and cor- 

 rupts the whole body. Sometimes ten minutes time is fatal. One thac 

 was teized and irritated' to bite himfelf, died in twelve minutes. 



Several remedies have been tried to alleviate this calamity. A decoc- 

 tion of the Virginian feneka, or fnake-root, is confidered as the moft ef- 

 feflual. The Indians dip their arrows in the poifon under the rattle- 

 fnake's fangs, when they defire to take a fignal revenge on their enemies. 

 The Indians eat them, fcizing them by the head, in cool weather. They 

 do not quit their retreats till after all the fnow is melted ; at this time 

 they are purfued with little or no danger. In fummer they prefer hilly- 

 countries, and warm expofures on the fouth afpeftof a hill ; hide fome- 

 times under fallen trees, fo that the Americans do not crofs them if they 

 can help itj if they muft, they leap off from them as far as poflible. 



Eats worms, frogs, hares, fquirrels, birds, &c. Climbs trees with faci- ' 

 lity ; leaps from branch to branch, or from rock to rock ; on level ground 

 moves with heavier motion. With regard to his charming his prey, whea 

 out of reach, opinions are divided; fome referring it to the fire and vi- 

 vacity of his eyes, fome to their being overcome by his foetorj fome 

 think there is no fuch thing, but that they have been previoufly bitten, 

 and efcaped j yet, being poifoned, he awaits the efFed. During rain and 

 thunder he is moft dreadful (not that he fears water, for he fwims well), 

 cfpecially as then his rattles do not found. Has a formidable enemy in 

 a fnake as large as itfelf, which is very ftrong, and twifl:s itfelf round 

 him with fuch contraftile force as to fqueeze him to death ; hence this 

 fnake is called conJlri5for : it is not venomous, therefore its breed is en- 

 couraged. Who can tell but that in time, by the exertion of fo many 

 enemies, men, hogs, vultures, and fellovy fnakes, a rattle- fnake might be 

 confidered as an animal merely ideal, or found only in cabinets. 



There are other ferpents having rattles in their tails. Such are the 

 Millet, whofe head has nine fcales on it; general colour, grey: a fmall 

 kind. The Dry/w^j, whitifii, fpotted, and yellow. The Durt//'us. And the 

 FifcivorouSj which has properly no rattle (/. e. of many bones), but 

 whofe tail terminates in a boney or cornified pcint^ not an inch in 

 ' ■ length \ 



