General Science. &01 
events have a natural dependence on each other. The fishermen 
of that quarter know howto appreciate the effects of shorter seasons 
of drought on the fish proper to the coast ; and when the term 
has been prolonged to nearly five times its average duration, it 
seems rational to infer, that its effects have likewise been carried 
to a proportionally greater distance among the inhabitants of the 
deep, and brought the stately stranger we have been considering 
into shallows, from which all his strength and activity were un- 
able to relieve him .-— Mr Edward Milligan . 
IV. GENERAL SCIENCE. 
17. Account of the Rattlesnake . — Mr James Pierce, in his 
Account of the Geology, Scenery, &c. of the counties of New- 
haven and Litchfield, has given the following interesting ac 
count of the rattlesnake. A young man having met with a 
large and vigorous rattlesnake, instead of killing it with his long 
cart- whip, as he could easily have done, amused himself by pro- 
voking it, and gently playing his whip around its body. The 
irritated reptile made repeated and vigorous leaps towards the 
young man, coming nearer to him at every effort ; and, be- 
ing teazed more and more with the whip, at last threw himself 
into the air, with such energy, that when he descended, he 
seemed scarcely to touch the ground ; but instantly rebounding, 
executed a succession of leaps, so rapid and so great, that there 
was not the slightest intermission, and he appeared to fly. The 
young man betook himself to a rapid flight ; but his dreadful pur- 
suer gained rapidly upon him, till approaching a fence, he percei- 
ved that he could not pass it before the fangs of the snake would 
be hooked in his flesh. As his only resource, he turned, and by a 
fortunate throw of his lash, by which he wound it completely 
round the serpent's body, he arrested his progress, and killed 
him.-— Mr Pierce had a living rattlesnake two months in his 
possession, and every day watched his manners. Lie imme- 
diately killed birds and most small animals, when put into his 
cage, but did not eat them. He permitted a toad, however, to 
remain weeks with him unmolested, and allowed it to leap upon 
his body, and sit upon his head. When he opened his mouth, 
his fangs were not visible unless he was provoked ; at other 
