NORTH AMERICA* 
ZJl 
fpringing beyond their length. They feem deftitute 
of the pacific difpofition and magnanimity of the 
rattle fnake, and are unworthy of an alliance with 
him. No man ever i'aves their lives, yet they remain 
too numerous, even in the oldeft fettled parts of 
the country. 
The green fnake is a beautiful innocent creature : 
they are from two to three feet in length, but not 
fo thick as aperfons little finger; of the fined: green 
colour. They are very abundant, commonly feen 
on the limbs of trees and fhrubs : they prey upon 
infers and reptiles, particularly the little green 
chameleon : and the forked tailed hawk or kite 
feeds on both of them, {hatching them off the 
boughs of the trees. 
The ribband fnake is another very beautiful in- 
nocent ferpent : they are eighteen inches in length, 
and about the thicknefs of a man’s little finger ; 
the head is very fmall ; the ground colour of a full, 
clear vermilion, variegated with tranfverfe bars or 
zones of a dark brown, which people fancy repre- 
fents a ribband wound round the creature’s body : 
they are altogether inoffenfive to man, and are in a 
manner domeftic, frequenting old wooden buildings, 
open grounds and plantations. 
The chicken fnake is a large, ftrong and fwift 
ferpent, fix or feven feet in length, but fcarcely 
fo thick as a man’s wrift; they are of a cinereous, 
earthy colour, and flriped longitudinally with broad 
lines or lifts, of a dufky or blackifh colour. They 
are a domeftic fnake, haunting about houfes and 
plantations ; and would be ufeful to man if tamed 
and properly tutored, being great devourers of rats, 
