I 



222 Hahit of Climhmg of the Rattle-snake, 



thinks that he will be absent from us about two years. He is full of 

 the most interesting anecdotes of the habits of animals, the result 

 of his personal observations, when alone and in the wilderness, 

 where undisturbed nature is found in all her grandeur, simplicity, 

 and originality. I urged him to give these to the public, in the 

 course of his publications : he said that he probably might, but 

 that city naturalists were so unused to observing the habits of 

 animals, where alone they could be observed to advantage, that 

 he must yet wait, till some other adventurer had witnessed simi- 

 lar scenes. But how few are there, who, to the necessary enter- 

 prise, add qualifications requisite for such pursuits, and how long 

 may we not, therefore, wait for such corroboration. I hope he 

 will yet abandon this feeling of delicacy, and in his concluding 

 volume, enrich our knowledge of animals by the many interest- 

 ing facts of their habits, which he has on record. With so intel- 

 ligent a mind, controlled by sound judgment and great moral and 

 physical courage, it appears to me an injustice to our own un- 

 derstanding, to doubt the anecdotes which he relates of his own 

 observation. I would as soon think of doubting the existence of 

 the new birds he delineates, because he has not done what was 

 impossible for him to do under the circumstances in which he 

 was placed — preserved their skins, and deposited them in our 

 museums. 



Now, I have been informed, that some of our learned city 

 gentlemen, have doubted the truth of his representation of the 

 rattle-snake attacking a mocking-bird's nest, from an opinion that 

 the rattle-snake does not climb. An opinion, by the way, more 

 common in our cities, than with the hunters in the wilds, in 

 which this reptile is generally found. 



But as I am possessed of some facts on this subject, which 

 prove that the rattle-snake does climb, I will, in justice to Mr. 

 Audubon, relate them to you. 



1st When Lieut. Swift of our army, was engaged on a survey 

 in Florida, in 1826 ; his attention was suddenly called to a group 

 of his men, within about 100 feet from where he stood. They 

 had just killed a snake, w^hich the men assured him, they had 

 seen seize a grey-squirrel on the limb of a tree, about fifteen feet 

 from the ground, and fall to the earth with it. When Lieut. 

 Swift had arrived at the place, the snake was already killed, 

 and much mangled. He did not examine it for the rattles, 



