RATTLE-SNAKE. 569 



particularly birds and squirrels, (which principally are their prey,) 

 no sooner spy the snake, than they skip from spray to spray, hover- 

 ing and approaching gradually nearer to their enemy, regardless of 

 any other danger; but with distracted gestures and outcries, de- 

 scend, though from the top of the loftiest trees, to the mouth of the 

 snake, who openeth his jaws, takes them in, and in an instant swal- 

 lows them." 



On this subject Dr. Mead, in his work on poisons, expresses 

 himself as follows ; 



" With respect to the use of the rattle, a vulgar error has ob- 

 tained, even among the learned, about it. It is commonly said that 

 it is a kind contrivance of divine Providence, to give warning to pas- 

 sengers by the noise which this part makes when the creature moves, 

 to keep out of the way of its mischief. Now this is a mistake. It 

 is beyond all dispute that wisdom and goodness shine forth in all the 

 works of the creation ; but the contrivance here is of another kind 

 than is imagined. All the parts of animals are made either for the 

 preservation of the individual, or for the propagation of its species ; 

 this before us is for the service of the individual. This snake lives 

 chiefly upon squirrels and birds, which a reptile can never catch 

 without the advantage of some management to bring them within its 

 reach. The way is this. The snake creeps to the foot of a tree, 

 and, by shaking his rattle, awakens the little creatures which are 

 lodged in it. They are so frighted at the sight of their enemy, who 

 fixes his lively piercing eyes upon one or other of them, that they 

 have no power to get away, but leap about, from bough to bough,, 

 till they are quite tired, and at last, falling to the ground, they are 

 snapped into his mouth. This is by the people of the country called 

 charming the squirrels and birds." 



Dr. Barton, professor of natural history, in the University of 

 Pensylvania, in a memoir on the supposed fascinating power of tine 

 rattlesnake, imagines the whole to be no more than the fluttering 

 of old birds in defence of their young, and which are themselves 

 occasionally caught by the rattle-snake, in consequence of too near 

 an approach. 



Of the fascinating power of the rattle-snake," says Mr. Pen- 

 nant *, " it is difficult to speak ; authors of credit describe the 



* Arct. Zool. suppl, 88. 



