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of those snakes has proved fatal lo mankind, 
in the space even of a very few minutes. 
Till the discovery of the western hemi- 
sphere, the knowledge of these serpents was 
concealed from the rest of the world : and 
philosophers then first beheld with amaze- 
ment a reptile of the most fatal nature, fur- 
nished, as if by a peculiar institution of Pro- 
vidence, with an instrument capable, in ge- 
neral, of warning mankind of their danger in 
too near an approach. 
The different species of rattlesnakes seem 
to have been generally confounded with each 
other ; and even Catesby, who travelled in 
those parts of North America where it is 
found, seems to have been unacquainted with 
one of the most remarkable species ; and to 
have particularly described the handed rat- 
tlesnake only, which he has also figured with 
sufficient clearness to prevent its being con- 
founded with any other kind, though not with 
that minute attention to all the particulars 
which the more improved state of natural 
history at present demands. 
This species is found, in general, from three 
to four or five feet in length ; and is of a yel- 
lowish-brown colour, marked throughout its 
whole length with several transverse and 
somewhat irregular fascia; of deep brown, 
and from the head to some distance down the 
neck run two or three longitudinal stripes of 
the same colour ; the head is large, flat, and 
covered with small scales ; the rest of the 
upper parts with moderately large oval ones’, 
all strongly carinated or furnished with a pro- 
minent line down the middle: the under parts 
are of a dingy yellowish-brown colour, mark- 
ed with numerous dusky variegations and 
freckles: at the extremity of the tail is si- 
tuated the rattle, consisting of several hard, 
dry, horny processes, the peculiar structure 
of which will be more amply described here- 
after ; and which, on the least disturbance or 
irritation, is elevated and shaken in such a 
manner as to cause a stronger brisk rattling 
sound. 
“ The largest rattlesnake,” says Catesby, 
“ which I ever saw, was about eight feet in 
length, and weighing between eight and nine 
pounds. They are the most inactive and 
slow-moving snake,” adds this author, “ of 
all others, and are never the aggressors, ex- 
cept in what they prey upon ; for unless they 
tire disturbed they will not bite ; and when 
provoked they give warning by shaking their 
rattles.” 
The charming, as it is commonly called, 
or attractive power this snake is said to have, 
of drawing to it small animals, and devouring 
them, is generally believed in America. The 
manner of the process is said to be, that the 
animals, particularly birds and squirrels 
(which principally are their prey), no sooner 
.spy the snake than they skip from spray to 
spray, hovering and approaching gradually 
nearer to their enemy, regardless of any 
other danger; but with distracted gestures 
and outcries, descend, though from the top 
of the loftiest trees, to the mouth of the 
snake, who opens his jaws, takes them in, 
and in an instant swallows them. Tills we 
believe to be merely an effect of fear in the 
victim, and the account is probably exagge- 
rated. “ "With respect to the use of the rat- 
tle,” says Dr. Mead, “ a vulgar error has 
obtained, even among the learned, about it. 
it is commonly said that it is a kind contri- 
vance of divine Providence, to give warning 
to passengers by the noise which this part 
makes, when the creature moves, to keep out 
of the way of its mischief. Now this is a 
mistake. It is beyond all dispute that wisdom 
and goodness shine forth in ail the works of 1 
the creation ; but the contrivance here is of 
another kind than is imagined. All the parts 
of animals are made either for the preserva- 
tion of the individual, or for the propagation 
of its species : this before us is for the ser- 
vice of the individual. This sirake lives 
chiefly upon squirrels and birds, which a rep- 
tile can never catch without the advantage of 
some management to bring them within its 
reach. The way is this. The snake creeps 
i to the foot of a tree, and, by shaking his rat- 
i tie, awakens the little creatures which are 
! lodged in it. They are so frightened at the 
j sight of their enemy, who fixes his lively 
| piercing eyes upon one or other of them, 
j that they have no power to get away, but 
! leap about, from bough to bough, till they 
j are quite tired, and at last, falling to the 
ground, they are snapped into his mouth. 
This is by the people of the country called 
charming the squirrels and birds.” 
Dr. Barton, professor of natural history in 
the university of Pennsylvania, in a memoir 
on the supposed fascinating power of the 
rattlesnake, imagines the whole to be no 
more than the fluttering of old birds in de- 
fence of their young, and which are them- 
selves occasionally caught by- the rattle- 
snake in consequence of too near an ap- 
proach. 
Rattlesnakes in general swarm in the less 
inhabited parts of North America ; but are 
now almost extirpated in the more populous 
parts. None are found farther north than the 
mountains near lake Champlain ; but they 
infest South America, even as tar as Brasil. 
They love woods and lofty hills, especially 
where the strata are rocky or chalky : the pass 
near N iagara abounds with them. Being slow 
of motion, they frequent the sides of rills, to 
make prey of frogs, or such animals as resort 
there to quench their thirst : are generally 
found during summer in pairs ; in winter col- 
lecting in multitudes, and retiring under 
ground, beyond the reach of frost : tempted 
by the warmth of a spring day, tire}' are 
often observed to creep out weak and lan- 
guid : a person has seen a piece of ground 
covered with them, and killed with a rod be- 
tween sixty and seventy, till overpowered 
with the stench he was obliged to retire. 
The rattlesnake is a viviparous animal, 
producing its young in the month of June, 
generally about twelve in number ; and which 
by September acquire the length of twelve 
inches. It is said to practise the same ex- 
traordinary mode of preserving its young 
from danger as is attributed to the viper 
in Europe, viz. of receiving them into its 
mouth, and swallowing them. For this we 
have the attestation of M. de Beauvois, who 
declares himself an eye-witness of the pro- 
cess. This gentleman saw a large rattle- 
snake, which he (happened to disturb in his 
walks, and which immediately coiled itself 
-up, opened its jaws, and instantly five small 
ones, which were lying by it, rushed into 
its mouth. He retired, and watched the 
snake, and in a quarter of an hour saw her 
again discharge them. He then approached 
it a second time, when the young retired into 
its mouth with greater celerity than before, 
and the snake immediately moved off among 
the grass, and escaped. See PI. N. Ii. fig. 150. 
2. Crotalusdun sus, or striped rattlesnake. 
This species may, in general, be readily dis- 
tinguished from the former by the different 
disposition ol its colours ; being of a deep 
brown above, with a very regularly conduct- 
ed pattern ot pale-yellow streaks, so disposed 
as to form a continued series of large rhombs 
or lozenges down the back, the stripes grow- 
ing somewhat less distinct as they descend on 
the sides. . The size and general proportions 
of the animal resemble those of the former, 
with which indeed* it appears to have been 
very frequently confounded. It is also a na- 
tive of the same parts of America. Its bite, 
so tar as can be ascertained by experiments 
made with such specimens as have been trans- 
ported into Europe, appears to be equally 
fatal with that of the former species. 
. Crotalus dryinas, or wood rattlesnake. 
I his is said to be of a paler or lighter tinge 
than the two former species, and to be 
variegated w ; ith yellowish marks on the back. 
. 4- Erotalus miliarius, or miliary rattle- 
snake. Mr. Catesby, the first describer of 
this animal, seems to entertain some doubts 
" hether it really differs from the common rat- 
tlesnake in any other respect than in colour, 
its prevailing tinge being grey -brown, shaded 
on the back with red, and marked by large 
black spots with white indented edges. It 
appears, however, to be a truly distinct spe- 
cies, differing not only in colour but in the 
smaller number of its abdominal scuta. This 
is the smallest species of rattlesnake yet 
known, rarely exceeding the length of tvvo 
feet. In its general habits it resembles the 
preceding kinds. 
CROTAPHI1ES, in anatomy, a muscle 
of the lower jaw, serving to draw 'it upwards. 
CROTCHES, in ship-building, very 
crooked timbers in the hold or bread-room, 
from the mizeii-step aft, fayed across the keel- 
son, to strengthen the ship in the w ake of the 
half-timbers. 
Crotches, iron, crooked pieces of iron, 
used on board sloops and long-boats which 
go with shoulder-of-mutton sails, for the 
boom to lodge on. 
CROTCHET, in music, one of the notes 
or characters of time, marked thus f, equal 
to half a minim, and double of a quaver. A 
dot added to the crotchet thus f., increases 
its time by one-half, that is, makes it equal 
to a crotchet and a half. 
Crotchets, marks or characters, serving 
to inclose a word or sentence, which is distin- 
guished from the rest, being generally in the 
form [ ], or this ( ). 
CROTON, wild, ricinus, a genus of the 
monadelphia order, in the montecia class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 38th order, tricoccse. The male 
calyx is cylindrical and quinquedentated ; 
the corolla is pentapetalous ; the stamina 
from 10 to 15. The female calyx ispoly- 
phylfous ; no corolla ; three bifid styles ; the 
capsule tnlocular ; one seed. T here are 
53 species, of which the most remarkable 
are: 
1 . I lie tinctorium, or plant from which 
flit, 1 lench turnsole is made. T his grows na- 
turally in the south of France; it is an an- 
nual plant, rising about nine inches high, y ffh 
