46 Catalogue of the Reptiles of Connecticut. 

 #32. ? ? Chatham. 



eral times, the rabbit watching the approaching danger with a seeming drowsy- 

 stupidity, until it came within six feet, at which time I made a blow at the 

 snake. It did not rattle until I had injured it severely by repeated blows. After 

 killing it, I found that the rabbit remained in one position near by, until I aroused 

 it by one or two light applications of the stick, when it sprang away in the utmost 

 fright. I much regret that my haste deprived me of the finale of all this.' " 



I had been informed that Capt. Floyd on casting away the snake was taken 

 with violent vomiting which lasted for six hours, and that every thing appeared 

 green to his sight. I therefore on the receipt of the letter containing the above 

 extracts, wrote him again to ascertain the truth, and he replied that my informant 

 had blended two circumstances, one of which was a Mr. Fitchett having killed a 

 large rattlesnake, to ascertain if it had any strong smell, brought his face in close 

 contact with the belly of the snake, and almost instantly it occasioned violent 

 vomiting, though the snake was dead. " But," Capt. F. adds, "the effect on 

 myself was a faint sickening feeling, produced, I believe, from the idea of having 

 a large and poisonous serpent in my hands, and from perceiving that it gradually 

 and in spite of my utmost pressure increased the distance between its head and 

 my hand, thereby gaining an advantage every instant which would soon enable it 

 to bite my hand. This, and the necessity of casting it away clear, so as to prevent 

 entanglement with any part of it, created a great excitement in me, (for from the 

 moment I seized it, and felt its cold scaly creeping muscles working through my 

 hands, I regretted that I had taken hold of it, and knew that the slightest loss of 

 my presence of mind would endanger me,) and I believe created that sickening, 

 nervous sensation which left me soon after I had thrown away the snake. Ob- 

 jects around did not ' appear green,' neither was ' vomiting occasioned.' Every 

 thin* wore the usual aspect — there was not a semblance of optical or other delu- 

 sion — and the holding of a large live rattlesnake (together with its very disagree- 

 able and suffocating smell) produced tbe most natural sensations possible upon 

 the nervous system." 



*32. Mr. Wm. G. Buell of Chatham, already mentioned, assures me that he has 

 this season taken at Chatham a small snake, the length he imagines about nine or 

 ten inches, with a horny tail, wholly unlike any other snake he has ever seen. He 

 secured him alive, rolled him up in a newspaper and put him under a stone until 

 his return from a short distance whither he was going, but on his return some 

 boys had found him, and by accident or carelessness had lost him. Since that 

 another specimen has been found of the same dimensions and similar tail, but was 

 destroyed by the farmer who found and mashed him to fragments. The latter 

 was said to be a pure or fine flesh color ; his specimen was different in color but 

 doubtless the same species. I showed Mr. Buell in my cabinet a fine specimen 

 (as yet undescribed) of the horn and hoop snake taken in Alabama, (and presented 

 me by Mr. Peabody of Bridgeport,) and Mr. Buell remarked that the horn part of 

 the tail resembled that of my specimen, but that the snake in all other respects 

 was wholly unlike. There is therefore unquestionably a new species and probably 

 a new genus of snake in Connecticut, not yet ascertained. It is mentioned with a 

 hope that some individual in that town or towns adjacent may succeed in finding 

 and securing a specimen, and thus at least afford us some further intelligence on 

 the subject, which will be thankfully received. It is believed this list embraces 

 all the snakes we have in this state, two only of which are known to be danger- 

 ously poisonous or venomous. 



