The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1821-1823, 1822-10-02

exhibit the other The perfect harm.
lessness of the reptile, and even attach
meAt TO his keeper is astonishing. -
Meanwhile Mr.. N. is himself thoroughly
at his ease-completely seIEpossessed,
diverting the spectator with the exhibi-
ton of his snakes, OF instructing them
by his explanations. He says, he has
no fears himself; for, independently of
his command over the animal, he is sat-
istied he can cure the bite of it--of the
remedy he makes no secret. Wash
your mouth first with warm sweet oil,
and then suck the wound-next, drink
most copiously of the decoction of the
snake-root, until it operates as strong
emetick. This is the regimen he rec
ommends, and which he believes to
be infallible.
There is no deception practiscd up
on you. He opens the mouth of the
snake, and shews you his fangs. They
are in the upper jaw alone-two on
each side. and have the faculty of re-
newing themselves, in case they are
drawn out by violent blow. The fang
is within the mouth, bent, sharpened
and sheathed like the claw of cat, and
turned towards the throat-the orifice
through which the poison is elected is
small groove on the upper side of the
fang between its point and the upper
curve-the poison bags lie at the roots
of the tangs.-But to remove all doubts
ofthe poisonous qualities of these snakes
being uninjured, Mr.. N. proposes to
have pubIick exhibition this week,
when the snake will kill young hare
by slight stroke, and then Immediately
devour him.
Perhaps no one has so good an op-
pOrtunity of studying the habits of the
animal. His remarks will of course
form a valuable addition to natural his
tory. He is an intelligent man-and a
memoir may be expected from him,
when he arrives in Europe. The male
snake has just cast his skin---and the
new one is most beautiful. The tail
has fine glossy black. He says, they
renew their skin every two months;
three times in year, perhaps from Oc-
tober to April, they remain torpid, and
this function is suspended. Most proba-
bly,, it varies in different snakes with
the quantities Of food they can obtain.
Mr., Neal generally feeds his once
week.
They have also a rattle every year
after the first. They scarcely ever
shake it but when they are strongly ex-
cited, or to strike the attention of their
prey. He contends that the use of
their rattles is to draw upon themselves
the eyes of their victim, which general
ly consists of the fleetest animals, as
birds, squirrels, &c. As soon as the eyes
meet, he says the process of charming
commences. He believes in this facul-
ty, for he has seen it exemplified in
garden by his own snakes the victim
will hop from bough to Dough, and rock
TO rock, overcome with apprehension,
until approaching each other, the
snake seizes him. He denies altogeth-
er what some naturalists assert, the de-
leterious qualities of their breath-for
he has often kissed them, and in blow
ing their breath upon him, he has found
it uncommonly sweet.
Mr.. n. has other snakes in his collec-
tiOn-as wampum-snake, beautifully
streaked, and so called after the Indian
ornaments;-it is small species of the
Boa Constructor, which winds itself
round its prey, and kills not by poison,
but by strlcture-it even sqtleezes the
rattle-snake TO death. He has also the
common black snake-and the lead-col-
cured American adder, of the descrip-
ton of the flat heads. He has all these
under the same command-exhibiting
almost the same docility as the rattle
snakes.-The spectacle is not danger
Gus nor even disgusting, and is well
worthy the attention of the curious.
Enquirer.
On the 9th Aug. the Alumni of Yale