A Rattlesnake 81 



Anxious to give it a position most interesting to a natu 

 ralist, I put it in that which the reptile commonly takes 

 when on the point of striking madly with its fangs. I 

 had examined many before, and especially the position 

 of the fangs along the superior jawbones, but had nevei 

 seen one showing the whole exposed at the same time ; 

 and having before this supposed that it was probable 

 that those lying enclosed below the upper one, in most 

 specimens, were to replace the upper one, which I thought 

 might drop periodically as the animal changed its skin 

 and rattles. However, on dissection of these from the 

 ligament by which they were attached to the jawbones, I 

 found them strongly and I think permanently fixed there 

 as follows. Two superior, or next to the upper lip (I 

 speak of one side of the jaws only), were well connected 

 at their bases and running parallel their whole length, 

 with apertures on the upper and lower sides of their bases 

 to receive the poison connectedly, and the discharging 

 one a short distance from the sharp point on the inner 

 part of the fangs. The next two fangs, about a quarter 

 of an inch below, connected and received in the same 

 manner but with only one base aperture on the lower side 

 of each, and the one at the point which issues the poison 

 to the wound. The fifth, rather smaller, is also about a 

 quarter of an inch below. The scales of the belly, to the 

 under part of the mouth, numbered one hundred and 

 seventy, and twenty-two from the vent to the tail. The 

 heat of the weather was so great that I could devote only 

 sixteen hours to the drawing. 



" October 20. Left Bayou Sara in the Ramapo, with 

 a medley of passengers, and arrived safely in New 

 Orleans. My long, flowing hair, and loose yellow nan- 

 keen dress, and the unfortunate cut of my features, 

 attracted much attention, and made me desire to be 



dressed like other people as soon as possible. My 

 4* 



