2J^ ON THE FASCINATING PAGULTV 



Fafts and ob- Another argument againft the fafcinating power of the 



fervations re- ferpent-tribe ftill remains to be confidered. 



Ipctting the f^ . , . . ~ 



power of /afci- It is natural to inquire, for what purpofe nature has endued 



°*f°V^"''*^'^ ferpents with the fuppofed powers of fafcinating birds, and 



other animals ? The anfwer to this queftion is uniform. It is 



faid, the power is given that the ferpents may obtain their 



food. Let us examine this opinion. 



Admitting the exigence of this power, I fliould have no 

 hefilation in believing, that its ufe is what is here mentioned, 

 though, indeed, it ought not to be concealed, that fnakes are 

 fuppofed, by fome foolifh people, to have the power of charm- 

 ing even children. And yet, I believe, there are no in- 

 ftances recorded of our American fnakes devouring children. 

 If, then, nature, in the immenfity of her kindneta,- had gifted 

 the ferpents with this wonderful power, we ftiould, at leaft, 

 exped to find that the common and principal food of thefe 

 ferpents was thofe animals, viz. birds and fquirrels, upon 

 which this influence is generally obferved to be exerted. 

 This, however, is b)' no means the cafe. 



As conne6led with this part of my memoir, it will not be 

 improper to obferve, that all our ferpents are the food of dif- 

 ferent kinds of birds. Even the rattle-fnake, whofe poifon 

 produces fuch alarming fyraptoms in man, and other animals, 

 is frequently devoured by fome of our ftronger and more 

 courageous birds. As far as I can learn, the birds which mofl 

 commonly attack and deftroy this reptile, are the fwaJlow- 

 tailed hawk *, and the larger kinds of owls. The owl often 

 feeds her young with this fnake, whofe bones are frequently 

 found in her neft, at confiderable heights from the ground. 

 Even a hen has been known to leave, for a minute, her af- 

 frighted chickens, and attack, with her beak, a rattle-fnake, 

 the greater part of whofe ijody fhe afterwards devoured +. 



• Faico furcatus. 



f It is commonly believed, that the rattle-fnake is a very hardjj; 

 animal ; but this is not the cafe. A very fmall ftroke on any part 

 of its body difables it from running at all ; and the flighteft ftroke 

 upon the top of the head is followed by inftant death. The Ikull- 

 bone is remarkably thin and brittle ; fo much fo indeed, that it is 

 thought that a Itroke from a wing of a thrufli or robin would be 

 fufhcient to break it. 



The 



