THE RATTLE SNAKE. , 85 



Slow of pursuit Terror of all animals. / 



this animal does not chew its food, but always 

 swallows it whole. 



The rattle-snake usually moves with its head 

 on the ground; but, if alarmed, throws its body 



into a circle, coiling; itself with its head in the 



~ 



centre erect, and with its eyes flaming in a most 

 terrific manner. Happily it may be easily avoid- 

 ed ; it is slow in pursuit, and has not the power 

 of springing at its assailants. However, it very 

 often enters houses; but the moment any of the 

 domestic animals see or hear it they take alarm, 

 and unite in giving notice of its presence. Hogs, 

 dogs, and poultry, all exhibit the utmost conster- 

 nation and terror, erecting their bristles and fea- 

 thers, and expressing by their different notes of 

 alarm that a dangerous enemy is near. Mr. 

 Catesby says that, in a gentleman's house of 

 Carolina, as the servant was making the bed on 

 the ground floor that he had himself left but a 

 few minutes before, he discovered a rattle-snake 

 lying coiled between the sheets in the middle of 

 the bed. 



Rattle snakes are viviparous, producing their 

 young, generally about twelve in number, in the 

 inonth of June, and by September these acquire 

 the length of twelve inches. It has been well 

 attested that they adopt the same mode of pre- 

 serving their young from danger as that attri- 

 buted to the common viper, receiving them into 

 their mouth and swallowing them. M. de Beau- 

 vois declares that he was an eye-witness to the 



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