BATTLE SNAKES. 175 



the Niagara river, was called Rattle Snake Island, 

 from the niraiber which it formerly contained. 

 Twenty-five were killed on it in one day, and 

 #ione are now to be found there. 



It is generally believed that they are devoured 

 by hogs with impunity and with avidity; this is 

 confidently denied ; and again it is- said that deer 

 kill them by springing on them with collected 

 feet. It is certain whatever may be the fact in 

 these cases, that they disappear before popula- 

 tion. 



Venomous and dangerous as this animal is, yet 

 a lady of fortune from Carolina carried about 

 one as a pet. In the house where she boarded in 

 New-York, her fellow lodgers were much alarmed 

 one evening by observing several young rattle 

 snakes about the rooms. It appears that they 

 had escaped through the holes of the case where 

 the mother was confined, and where she had 

 brought forth her young. 



I believe that all venomous serpents come un- 

 der the description of oviviviparous ; that is, that 

 the ova are hatched internally. A rattle snake 

 was recently killed near the western canal, which 

 had thirty eggs in it. This shows that they may 

 have thirty young, although the general impres- 

 sion is, that their offspring cannot exceed twelve 

 at one time. It is believed by many that the 



