2JO 
travels in 
the inhabitants aflerted to be dangeroufly venemous* 
their bite incurable, &c. But as I could never learn 
an inftance of their bite being mortal or attended 
with any dangerous confequence, and have had 
frequent opportunities ofobferving their nature and 
difpofition, I am inclined to pronounce them an 
innocent creature, with refpect 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 adminifcered : they feem 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 fhorter 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 mill 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 locufts in America ; yet it is poflible I may 
be miftaken in this conjecture. This dangerous vi- 
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 
Qoil, they fwell and flatten themfelves, continually 
darting out their head ; and they feem capable of 
1 Springing 
/ 
