Part! Of Serpents. 5 1 
this before us, of fixteen white Bones, but very hollow, 
thin, hard, and dry, and therefore brittle, almoft like Glafs, 
and very fonorous. They are alfo all very near of the 
fame bulk 5 and of the felf fame Figure, almoft like the Os 
Sacrum in a Man. For although the laft of all only, feems 
to have a kind of a Ridged Tail or Epiphyfis adjoyned to 
it, yet have every one of them the like 5 fo, as the Tail of . 
every uppermoft Bone, runs within two of the Bones be- 
low it. By which Artifice, they have not only a moveable 
coherence, but alfo make a more multiplied found, each 
Bone hitting againit two others at the fame time. 
By this Rattle, thofe that travel through the Fields, or 
along the High-ways, are warned to avoid coming near fo 
noxious a Creature. For thofe that are bitten with him, 
fometimes die miferably in 24 hours 3 their whole body ^ F ^ 
cleaving into chops, (a) They commonly bury the Limb xtmenez^ 
that is bitten, and fo keep it, till the pain wears off. (b) ¥£ e ^ ^ ■ 
By thrufting the end of his Tail, faith Pifo, up into a Mans i^Ji^!* 
Fundament, he kills him immediately. But he feems here Bontius ' 
fallly to attribute that to this Serpent, which he doth much 
more probably to the BOIGUAC U. For this is but a 
leffer fort, feldom exceeding a yard and*, and therefore 
cannot do it by girding a Man about. And for there be- 
ing any Venime in the Rattle, it was, I believe, hardly ever 
imagin d by any other man. Their progreffive motion, 
faith Job. Lerius, is fo fwift, that they feem to fly. Which 
makes the Rattle to befo much the more ufeful,in giving 
timely notice of their approach. Some of the largeft are in 
Panuco, a Province of Mexico. Tis faid, that the fmell of 
Dittany kills him. (c) w\' e *\ 
It is affirmed by Marggrarius and others, that as many nI'&n!^ 
years old as the Serpent is, the Rattle hath fo many joynts. 
Which if it be true, then they will live at lead fixteen 
years, fome Rattles ( as this here ) confifting of fixteen 
joynts. Which makes the Tradition very fufpicious. 
About fourteen more SKINS of the RATTLE- 
SNAKE. Some of them are all over of a dark-brown. 
Others chequer'd with a brown, upon a(h-colour. 
Several RATTLES of the fame Serpent 5 moft of 
them compofed of above ten joynts. 
A POWDER faid to be taken out of a Serpents 
H 2 Head 
