326 



BANDED RATTLE-SNAKE. 



want of subjects, a common black snake was pro-, 

 cured, which was healthy and vigorous, and about 

 three feet long. It v/as brought to the Rattle^ 

 Snake, when they bit each other, the black snake 

 biting the Rattle-Snake so as to make it bleed. 

 They were then separated, and in less than eight 

 minutes the black snake died ; while the Rattle- 

 Snake, on the contrary, shewed no signs of indispo- 

 sition, appearing as well as before. Lastly, in order 

 to try whether the Rattle-Snake could poison itself, 

 it was provoked to bite itself. The experiment suc- 

 ceeded, and the animal expired in less than twelve 

 minutes. 



According to experiments made by Mr. Vos- 

 maer at the Hague, with a lively young Rattle- 

 Snake which he received from Surinam, small 

 birds, such as Sparrows, Greenfinches, &c. died 

 sometimes in four, sometimes in ten, and some- 

 times in twenty minutes after having been bitten, 

 and a mouse in a minute and half. 



The anatomy of the Rattle-Snake is detailed 

 with much exactness by Dr. Tyson in the Philo- 

 sophical Transactions; and it appears that its in- 

 ternal structure in almost all respects resembles 

 that of the Viper. The chief particulars are the 

 following : 



The wind-pipe, as in the Viper, as soon as it 

 enters the lungs, consists of semi-annular carti- 

 lages, which, being joined at both ends to the 

 membrane of the lungs, constitute a free or open 

 channel, thus immediatel}^ transmitting the air to 

 the vesicles of those organs, which are of very 



