74 AUDUBON, THE NATURALIST 



careful investigation, even upon the authority of "a 

 scientific friend." Let us see, then, what basis, if any, 

 really existed for such sweeping charges. In the paper 

 which caused the trouble Audubon had described in 

 great detail how he had seen a large rattlesnake pursue, 

 capture, kill by constriction, and devour a gray squirrel. 

 Before quoting his description of this singular encoun- 

 ter, we shall recall a passage which Audubon wrote in his 

 journal at the time when it occurred,'^ when he was at 

 "Oakley," the plantation of James Pirrie at St. Fran- 

 cisville. Bayou Sara, in the summer of 1821: "August 

 25. Finished drawing a very fine specimen of a rattle- 

 snake, which measured five feet and seven inches, 

 weighed six and a quarter pounds, and had ten rattles. 

 Anxious to give it a position most interesting to a 

 naturalist, I put it in that which the reptile commonly 

 takes when on the point of striking madly with its 

 fangs." After describing a rough dissection which he 

 made of the rattlesnake's dental arsenal and poison ap- 

 paratus, he added: "The heat of the weather was such 

 that I could devote only sixteen hours to the drawing." 

 The drawing thus referred to was undoubtedly used in 

 the composition of his celebrated plate. 



To revert now to a mooted passage in Audubon's 

 published paper: 



Rattlesnakes hunt and secure for their prey, with ease, 

 grey squirrels that abound in our woods ; therefore they must 

 be possessed of swiftness to obtain them. Having enjoyed the 

 pleasure of beholding such a chase in full view in the year 

 1821, I shall detail its circumstances. Whilst lying on the 

 ground to watch the habits of a bird that was new to me, previ- 

 ous to shooting it, I heard a smart rustling not far from me, 

 and turning my head that way, saw, at the same moment, a 



' This episode was referred to in Chapter XX, p. 316. 



