74 lewis's AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



mained stupid and apparently indifferent to their fate, and could 

 not be made to offer the slightest resistance to their enemies. One 

 of the king-snakes was afterwards inoculated with the poison of a 

 rattlesnake which he had destroyed, and died immediately, thus 

 evincing that they must have exercised some power besides physical 

 force to overcome their fellow-reptiles. 



M. Raspail explains the mystery of fascination, apparently very 

 much to his own satisfaction, by supposing the serpent to possess 

 the power of emitting two streams of a poisonous and stupefying 

 gas — one on each side of its mouth — which proceed to unite above 

 the head of the bird, producing asphyxia, &c. &c. 



DOMESTICATION. 



The wild nature of the partridge renders its domestication almost 

 impossible, though in some instances, where the eggs have been 

 placed under the common hen, they have been hatched and reared 

 with as much success as if the progeny were of her own species. 

 The young brood, however, though perfectly familiar with all the 

 other occupants of the farmyard, and apparently reconciled to 

 their unnatural mode of life, still exhibited the wandering and 

 restless disposition of their race, and in most instances have flown 

 away to their native haunts at the pairing season of the following 

 year. The American partridge, in common with those of other 

 countries, cannot bear close confinement ; they may appear for a 

 time to thrive, still, if too much restricted in their movements, in- 

 variably die. We unfortunately, during the last winter, lost seve- 

 ral fine birds that were presented to us by our friend G. D. 

 Wetherill, Esq., owing, we suppose, to the smallness of the cage 

 in which we had temporarily placed them. 



TWO BROODS. 



It is a common opinion among sportsmen that the partridge 

 produces two broods during each season. Whether this be true or 

 not, we are not prepared to say positively; but on(! thing is cer- 

 tain, that the hen is often discovered setting during July, in our 



