RATTLE-SNAKES; FEU-DE-LANCE. 573 



appendage when irritated or alarmed, and gives timely warning 

 of its approach ; it would seem, however, that most of the small 

 animals on which it preys are so. bewildered by the neighbour- 

 hood of their dreaded enemy, as to make but little attempt to 

 escape. There is no reason to believe that it ever attacks Man, 

 unless it be trodden on, or otherwise molested. Its bite, however, 

 when severe, is almost certainly fatal; unless immediate mea- 

 sures be taken to prevent the absorption of the poison ( 475) ; 

 small animals, such as Dogs, are very rapidly affected by the 

 poison, death taking place in a few minutes. The usual length 

 of the common Rattlesnake is from four to five feet, but speci- 

 mens have been met with of six or even eight feet in length. 



514. The true Rattlesnakes are principally found in North 

 America, but the southern division of that continent and the 

 Islands of the West Indies are inhabited by numerous species of 

 this family, in which the peculiar rattle is wanting, and the tail 

 terminates in a little spine, One of the most terrible of these 

 Serpents is known as the Fer-de-Lance, or Lance-headed Viper, 

 which is common in some of the West Indian Islands ; it mea- 

 sures as much as six or seven feet in length, and is capable of 

 executing considerable springs when in pursuit of prey, or of 

 some object which has irritated it. 



