THE SNAKE. 205 



rattlesnake, addressed to Thomas Stuart Trail], 

 M.D., and inserted in Jameson's Journal, says, that 

 he confined a rattlesnake for three years in a cage. 

 Did he never once get a sight of the fangs all that 

 time? *I will allow any body the range of the 

 whole world ; and if he can produce one single soli- 

 tary fang of any snake, great or small, with the 

 point turned upwards, I will submit to be sent to 

 the treadmill for three years. All fangs of snakes 

 are curved somewhat in the shape of a scythe, with 

 their points downwards; and we see clearly that 

 their position in the mouth, and the manner in 

 which they convey the poison, require that their 

 points should be curved downwards. 



Mr. Taylor further informs us that " black snakes 

 are called racers, from their occasionally chasing 

 men with great ferocity." Chase argues pursuit 

 and retreat : now, I affirm that snakes never chase 

 men, nor, indeed, any other animals. 



If often happens that a man turns round and runs 

 away when he has come suddenly upon a snake, 

 " retroque pedem cum voce repressit ;" while the 

 disturbed snake itself is obliged through necessity 

 (as I shall show by and by), to glide in the same 

 path which the man has taken. The man, seeing 

 this, runs away at double speed, fancying that he is 

 pursued by the snake. If he would only have the 

 courage to stand still, and would step sideways on 

 the snajke's coming up to him, he might rest secure 

 that it would not attack him, provided that he, on 

 his part, abstained from provoking it. I once laid 

 hold of a serpent's tail as it was crossing the path 



