The Rattle Snake. 337 



The thermometers f and t'^ were so situated as to embrace be- 

 tween them forty-five inches in the length of the pipe, exhibiting a 

 surface of eight hundred forty eight and one fourth square inches. 

 The following observations will show the efficacy of this part of the 

 apparatus. When the thermometer t was 145°, f was 121°, f^ 

 109.5°; whole quantity abstracted 35.5°; part taken off by the pipe 

 between i' and f' 11.5°. Hence, 32y\ per cent, of the whole di- 

 minution was due to this portion of surface, although it was only 16/o- 

 per cent, (less than one-sixth) of the whole surface exposed. It will 

 be remarked that in this part, the gas was compelled to move verti- 

 cally downwards, while in the body of the drum it ascended some- 

 what obliquely, and that too, through a medium of gas in the centre 

 of which it may have formed a current, which being enclosed as it 

 were, in a pipe of gas, (a very bad conductor) could not readily dis- 

 charge its heat through the iron. 



The mean result of seven experiments made in this manner was, 

 that 33-j-\ per cent, of the heat taken off was abstracted by this part 

 of the pipe. This proves that the form of a drum is by no means 

 the most favorable for abstracting heat. The flattened pipe would 

 doubtless be most efficacious for this object, where space could be al- 

 lowed for carrying it to a considerable extent. 



Art. XVI. — The Rattle Snake, (Crotalus horridus, L.) disarmed 

 by the leaves of the White Ash, (Fraxinus Americana, Mich, f.) 

 Communicated by Judge Samuel Woodruff, in a letter dated 

 Windsor, December 4th, 1832. 



TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. 



Dear Sir. — Last evening while perusing your very interesting 

 Journal, I found in Vol. iii, p. 85, a communication to you by Prof. 

 Jacob Green, giving an account of a large quantity of rattle snake 

 skeletons, found in a cave near Princeton College ; Prof. Green clo- 

 ses his communication with a passing notice of a popular story, 

 among the former inhabitants of that town, that the leaves of the 

 white ash were obnoxious to those reptiles. 



This brought to my recollection an occurrence connected with this 

 subject, of which I was a witness, and now proceed to relate. 



During the summer months of 1801,1 resided in the north eastern 

 part of the state of Ohio. Rattle Snakes were then very numerous in 



Vol. XXIII.— No. 2. 43 



