THE RATTLE SNAKE. 8? 



Anecdotes of this fascinating property. 



wide open for its reception. The poor little ani- 

 mal then, with a piteous cry, runs into his jaws, 

 and is swallowed. See the annexed engraving. 



As a corrobation of this strange fascination, 

 M. Le Vaillant says that he saw, on the branch 

 of a tree, a bird trembling as if in convulsions, 

 and at the distance of about four feet, on another 

 branch, a large species of snake that was lying 

 with out-stretched neck, and fiery eyes, gazing 

 steadily at the poor animal. The agony of the 

 bird was so great that it was deprived of th 

 power of moving away ; and when one of the 

 party killed the snake, it was found dead upon 

 the spot, and that entirely from fear, for on exa*- 

 mination it appeared not to have received the 

 slightest wound. He further adds, that a short 

 tatoe afterwards he observed a small mouse, ia 

 similar agonizing convulsions, about two yards 

 distant from a snake, whose eyes were intently 

 fixed on it ; and on frightening away the reptile, 

 and taking up the mouse, it expired in his hand. 

 This gentleman was assured by all the Hottentots 

 who were with him that this was very common ; 

 and the fact was also confirmed by the assertions 

 of all to whom he mentioned these instances* 

 This fascinating property, however, has been 

 contradicted by Dr. Barton of Philadelphia, but 

 this gentleman has advanced no powerful rea- 

 sons for disbelieving the above stories. 



The rattle-snakes are in summer generally 

 found in pairs : in winter they collect in multi- 



