TRAVELS 12* 
the inhabitants afferted to be dangeroufly venemous? 
the bite incurable, &c. But as I could never learn 
an inftance of their bite being mortal or attended 
with any dangerous eonfequence, and have had 
frequent opportunities of obferving their nature and 
difpofition, I am inclined to pronounce them an in- 
nocent creature, with refped: to mankind. 
The baftard rattle fnake, by fome called ground 
rattle fnake, is a dangerous little creature : their 
bite is certainly mortal if prefent medical relief is 
not adminidered : they feern to be much of the na- 
ture of the afp or adder of the old world. 
This little viper is in form and colour much like 
the rattle fnake, but not fo bright and uniformly 
marked : their head is broader and fliorter in pro- 
portion to the other parts of their body : their 
nofe prominent and turned upwards : their tail be- 
comes fuddenly fmall from the vent to the extremi- 
ty, which terminates with three- minute articula- 
tions, refembling rattles : when irritated they turn 
up their tail, which vibrates fo quick as to appear 
like a mift or vapour, but caufes little or no found 
or noife ; yet it is the common report of the inha- 
bitants, that they caufe that remarkable vehe- 
ment noife, fo frequently obferved in forefts in the 
heat of fummer and autumn, very terrifying to 
ftrangers, which is, probably, caufed by a very fa- 
ble fmall infect of the genus cicadae, or which are 
called loculls in America ; yet it is poffible I may 
be miflaken in this conjecture. This dangerous vir 
per is from eight to ten inches in length, and of 
proportionable thicknefs. They are fpiteful, fnap- 
pifh creatures ; and throwing themfelves into a little 
coil, they fwell and flatten themfelves, continually 
darting out their head : and they feem capable of 
fpringing 
