86 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Capabif oi chafimng it-* prey 



process. He saw a iurge rattle snake, which he 

 bad disturbed in its walks; it immediately coil- 

 ed itseir up, opened its jaws, and in an instant 

 five small ones that were lying by it rushed into 

 its mouth. He retired in order to watch the 

 snake, and in a quarter of an hour saw her again 

 discharge them. He then approached a second 

 time, when the young rushed into its mouth more 

 quickly than before, and the animal immediately 

 moved oif and escaped. 



As this creature is known to devour several of 

 the smaller animals, it has been generally be- 

 lieved that it is endued \\ith the power of fasci- 

 nating or charming its prey till they even run 

 into its jaws. Mr. Pennant (from Kalm) says 

 that the snake will frequently lie at the bottom 

 of A tree on which a squirrel is seated. He fixes 

 his eyes upon the little animal, and from that 

 moment it cannot escape ; it begins a doleful 

 outcry, which is so well known, that a person 

 passing by, on hearing it, immediately knows 

 that a snake is present. The squirrel runs up 

 the tree a little way, comes downwards again, 

 then goes up, and afterwards still lower. The 

 snake continues at the bottom of the tree with 

 his eyes fixed on the squirrel, with which his 

 attention is so entirely taken up, that a person 

 accidentally approaching may make a consider- 

 able noise without so much as the snake's turn- 

 ing about. The squirrel comes lower, and at last 

 leap* down to the snake, whose mouth is already 



