182 RATTLE SNAKE^. 



engaged in battle — at last one bit the otheij 

 which immediately retreated, and died in a few 

 minutes. It was supposed that it went ofi' rapidly 

 for an antidote. 



To show the rapidity of the bite, and the mor- 

 tality of the venom, the following anecdotes were 

 related to me : A man in pursuance of a common 

 practice of killing snakes, took a rattle snake by 

 the tail from under a log, and snapped off its head 

 like the cracking of a whip ; he was bit in the 

 thumb, without knowing it, during this rapid ope^ 

 ration, and died. Another one killed a rattle 

 snake, and cut off the head about five inches long, 

 and ordered a boy to bury it ; not obeying ths 

 order fast enough, and being hurried in his work, 

 the man took hold of the head, which turned 

 round and bit him so that he died. 



The same serpent possesses very different de- 

 grees of power in its bile, according to time and 

 circumstances. This is beautifully intimated by 

 Virgil when speaking of a serpent common in 

 Italy in his time. 



" Est etiam ille malus Calabris in saltibus anguis, 

 Squammea con vol v ens sublato pectore terga, 

 Atque, Dotis longam maculosus grandibus alvum r 

 Qui, dum amnes uUi rumpuntur fontibosj et dura 

 Vere madent udo terrae, ac pluvialibus Austris, 

 Slagna cojit ; ripisque habitans, hie piscibus atram. 

 iioprobus inglaviem^. ranisquc ioquacibu» sxpleti 



