HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



79 



The rattle founds whenever the fnake moves, and parti- 

 cularly when he is in motion to biue. This fnake moves 

 with great rapidity, and upon that account it Hkewife ob- 

 tained among the Mexicans the name of Ehecacoatl, or 

 aerial ferpent. Its bite is attended with certain death, 

 unlefs remedies are fpeedily applied, among which the 

 mofl: efFedlual is thought to be the holding of the wound- 

 ed part fome time in the earth. It bites with two teeth 

 placed in the upper jaw, which as in the viper and other 

 fpecies of ferpents, are moveable, hollow, and pierced at 

 the extremity. The poifon, which is a yellowifli cryf- 

 tallizable liquor, is contained in fome glands which lie 

 over the roots of thofe two teeth. Thefe glands being 

 compreffed in the a^lion of biting, dart through the hol- 

 low of the teeth the fatal liquid, and pour it by the aper- 

 tures into the wound and the raafs of blood. We (hould 

 have been glad to communicate to the public feveral other 

 obfervations which we have made upon this fubje£l:, if 

 the nature of this hidory fliouldhave permitted it (m). 



The AhueyadH is not very different from the fnake juft 

 defcribed, except in having no rattle. This fnake, as we 

 are told by Hernandez, communicates that kind of poi- 

 fon called by the ancients Uemorrhoos^ which occafions 

 the blood to burfl from the mouth, nofe, and eyes of the 

 perfon who has received it. There are certain antidotes, 

 however, which prevent thefe virulent effects. 



The Cuicuilcoatl^ fo named from the variety of its co- 

 lours, is not quite eight inches long, and of the thicknefs 

 of the little finger ; but its poifon is as a6live as that of 

 the Teotlacozauhqui. 



The 



know whether this is founded upon his own obfervations or the reports of 

 others. 



{m) Father Inamma, a Jefuit mlflionary of California, has made many ex- 

 periments upon fnakes, which ferve to confirm thofe made by Mead iii>on vipersi 



