VOL. XXXVIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 057 



be as venomous as the rattle-snake; but they are as seldom seen. These three 

 poisonous snakes liring forth their young alive; whereas the other three sorts 

 lay eggs, which are hatched afterwards; and that is the distinction they make, 

 esteeming only those to be venomous which are viviparous. They have like- 

 wise the horn-snake, so called from a sharp horn in its tail, with which it 

 assaults any thing that offends it, with such force, that it is said it will strike 

 its tail into the but-end of a musket, from whence it is not able to disengage 

 itself." 



" All sorts of snakes will charm both birds and squirrels, and the Indians 

 pretend to charm them; several persons have seen squirrels run down a tree 

 directly into a snake's mouth. They have likewise seen birds fluttering up and 

 down, and chattering at these snakes, till at last they have dropped down just 

 before them" 



" In the end of May, 1715, stopping at an orchard, by the road-side, to 

 get some cherries, being three of us in company, we were entertained with the 

 whole process of a charm between a rattle-snake and a hare, more than half 

 grown. One of the company in his search for the best cherries, saw the hare 

 sitting, and though he went close by her, she did not move, till he gave her a 

 lash with his whip. This made her run about 10 feet, and there sit down 

 again. The gentleman not finding the cherries ripe, immediately returned the 

 same way, and near the place where he struck the hare he spied a rattle-snake. 

 Still not suspecting the charm, he went back about 20 yards to a hedge, to get 

 a stick to kill the snake, and at his return found the snake removed and coiled 

 in the same place from whence he had moved the hare. This put him on look- 

 ing for the hare again, and soon spied her about 10 feet from the snake, in the 

 same place to which she had started when he whipped her. She was now lying 

 down, but would sometimes raise herself on her fore feet, struggling as it were 

 for life, or to get away, but could never raise her hinder parts from the ground; 

 and then would fall flat on her side again, panting vehemently. In this con- 

 dition the hare and snake were when he called me, and though we all three 

 came up within 15 feet of the snake to have a full view of the whole, he took 

 no notice of us, nor even gave a glance towards us. There we stood at least 

 half an hour, the snake not moving, but the hare often struggling and falling 

 on its side again, till at last the hare lay still as dead for some time ; then the 

 snake moved out of his coil, and slid gently and smoothly on towards the hare, 

 his colours at that instant being ten times more glorious and shining than at 

 other times. As the snake moved along, the hare happened to make another 

 struggle, on which the snake made a stop, lying at his length, till the hare had 

 lain quiet again for a short space; and then he advanced again, till he came up 



VOL. VII. 4 P 



