136 THE RATTLESNAKE. 



body all over, and thus cover it with its mucus, to make it. slip 

 down more readily. It then began to swallow the buffalo ; and 

 its body dilating itself to receive it, the monstrous serpent took 

 in, at one morsel, a creature three times as thick as itself. 

 These terrible reptiles are sometimes found with the body of a 

 stag in their gullet, and the horns which they are unable to 

 swallow sticking out of their mouth. When the serpent has 

 thus swallowed a stag, a tiger, or any other large animal, it is 

 for some time unable to move from repletion, and may then be 

 without danger approached and destroyed. Leguat assures us, 

 that in Java, he saw one of these serpents that was fifty feet 

 long. Carli mentions their growing to the length of forty feet ; 

 and these accounts are corroborated by the concurrent testimony 

 of travellers. 



THE RATTLESNAKE 



Is a native of the American continent. It is sometimes found 

 as thick as a man's leg, and more than six feet in length. It re- 

 sembles the viper in the shape of its head and neck, as well as 

 in its colours. This dreadfully poisonous reptile, however, is 

 chiefly distinguished for the fatality of its bite and the rattle in 

 its tail, with which it makes a loud noise on the least motion. 



This instrument appears to have been given it by the wise and 

 gracious providence of the Author of Nature, for the purpose of 

 warning other creatures of its approach, and thus giving them 

 an opportunity of avoiding the danger. In effect, no sooner does 

 this rattle begin its harsh and alarming sound, than all the other 

 tribes of animated nature testify their fear by a precipitate re 

 treat ; and the universal terror which this dangerous serpent in- 

 spires, creates a solitude around its haunts. This rattle is com- 

 posed of several thin, hard, and hollow bones, linked together. 

 It has generally been supposed that the serpent acquires every 

 year an additional bone ; and this opinion appears probable, 

 from the circumstance of the young being wholly destitute of this 

 appendage. 



For the bite of this animal, various antidotes have been re- 

 commended ; but whether any of them can be depended on, ap- 

 pears somewhat doubtful. Some few instances have occured of 

 persons who have recovered, but whether this was owing to 

 vigour of constitution, the slightness of the wound, the power of 

 medicaments, or the combination of all these, in concurrence 

 perhaps with a variety of other adventitious circumstances, seems 

 difficult to decide. It is certain that cases of recovery are rare ; 

 for such is the extreme malignity of the venom, that the pain 

 soon grows insupportable. Some have expired under it in five 

 or six hours ; and those whose vigour of constitution enables 



