NORTH AMERICA, 
creature a mo ft terrifying appearance. They are 
from three to four and even five feet in length, 
and as thick as a man's leg ; they are not numerous* 
yet too common, and a fufficient terror to the mi~ 
ferable naked Haves, who are compelled to labour 
in the fwamps and low lands where only they abound* 
I never could find any that knew an inftance of 
any perfon’s lofing their life from the bite of them, 
only by hearfay. Yet I am convinced it is highly 
prudent for every perfon to be on their guard a- 
gainft them. They appear to be of the viper tribe, 
from their fwelling of their body, and flattening their 
neck when provoked, and from their large poifon- 
ous fangs: their head, mouth and eyes are remark- 
ably large. 
There is another fnake in Carolina and Florida 
called the moccalin, very different from this ; which 
is a very beautiful creature, and I believe not of a 
deftruffive or vindictive nature. Thefe when grown 
to their greateft fize are about five feet in length* 
and near as thick as a man’s arm ; their (kin fcaly 
but fmooth and fhining, of a pale grey and fky co- 
lour ground, uniformly marked with tranfverfe un- 
dulate ry ringlets or blotches of a deep nut brown, 
edged with red or bright Spanifh brown. They ap- 
pear innocent, very aftive and fwift, endeavouring 
to efcape from ones they have no poifonous fangs. 
Thefe are feen in high foreft lands, about rotten 
logs or decayed fallen limbs of trees, and they har- 
bour about old log buildings. They feem to be a 
fpecies, if not the very fame lhake, which in Pennfyl- 
vania and Virginia is called the wamporn fnake; but 
here in warmer Southern climes they grow to a much 
larger fize, and from the fame accident their colour 
may be more variable and deeper. They are by 
