■^^ 



16 Remarks in Defence of the Author 



veracity and the authenticity of his works, that with that 

 generosity of feeling so distinctive of those who are en- 

 gaged in hberal and kindred pursuits^ they will be grati- 

 fied to assign him the meed of praise which he so un- 

 doubtedly merits. 



It appears that exception has been taken to two articles by 



Mr.Audubon, 



( 



alus^ and the other on the habits of the turkey buzzard 

 {Cathartes aura, Illig.). The latter publication is now 

 lying before me, the former I have not had an opportunity of 

 seeing; but from what I gather from some communications 

 in your Journal, it appears that he ascribed to the rattle 

 snake some of the habits of the common black snake ( Col- 

 uber constrictor, Linn.) such as ascending trees in search of 

 game, feeding on squirrels, &:c. He also mentioned the re- 

 markable fact of its living a considerable length of time in 

 confinement without food, and of its being found in the 

 water, at a considerable distance from the shore. 



I do not wish either to defend or perpetuate error, and 

 acknowledge that the rattle snake appears to be a heavy 

 and sluggish reptile ; yet it will be recollected that there 

 are now found in this extensive country at least fve 

 well defined species of rattle snake, and that the habits 

 of some of these are very little known to natural- 

 ists. The fact is now pretty well established, and is gen- 

 erally admitted by naturalists in this country, that one or 

 more of our species of rattle snakes in the South 

 West have been seen on fences and on trees to a consid- 

 erable height. The letters of Col- Abert of the U. 

 S. Topographical Engineers and others who have had 

 the best means of ascertaining these facts, published in 

 the American Journals, go far to prove that the observa- 

 tions of Audubon m this respect have not been exagge- 

 rated. Under an impression that some of these statements 



and 



