432 THE RATTLESNAKE. 
Fortunately for the human inhabitants of the same land, the Rattlesnake 
is slow and torpid in its movements, and seldom attempts to bite unless it is 
provoked, even suffering itself to be handled without avenging itself. Mr, 
‘Waterton tells me, in connection with these reptiles : “ I never feared the bite 
of a snake, relying entirely on my own movements. ‘Thus, in the presence 
of several professional gentlemen, I once transferred twenty-seven Rattle- 
snakes from one apartment to another with my hand alone. They hissed 
and rattled when I meddled with them, but they did not offer to bite me.” 
When about to inflict the fatal blow, the reptile seems to swell with anger, 
its throat dilating, and its whole body rising and sinking as if inflated by 
bellows. The tail is agitated with increasing vehemence, the rattle sounds 
its threatening war-note, with sharper ruffle, the head becomes flattened as 
RATTLESNAKE.—( Uropsophus durissus.) 
itis drawn back ready for the stroke, and the whole creature seems a very in- 
carnation of deadly rage. Yet, even in such moments, if the intruder with- 
draw, the reptile will gradually lay aside its angry aspect, the coils settle 
down in their place, the flashing eyes lose their lustre, the rattle become 
Stationary, and the serpent sink back into its previous state of lethargy. 
The general colour of the Rattlesnake is pale brown. A dark streak runs 
along the temples from the back of the eye, and expands at the corner of the 
mouth into a large spot. A series of irregular dark brown bands are drawn 
across the back, a number of round spots of the same hue are scattered along 
the sides, upon the nape of the neck, and back of the head. 
WE now come to the second great family of poisonous serpents, namely, the 
VIPERS, or Viperide. All the members of this family may be distinguished by 
