The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1828-04-09
MISCELLANEOUS.
REPTILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI
VALLEY.

Mr. Flint, in the Western Monthly Review for
| February, describes tho various species of rem.
tiles that infest the Western and South West.
ern States. Among the yenomous serpents are
the rattle snake, king snake, water asp. copper
mead, moccasln snake, Kissing snake, and horn
snake. One variety Of rattle snake is yellow.
ana Is SAD to lnhabit the same burrows with the
Pfaifie dog. The copper'head is terrible SER
| pent, and rs deemed to inflict more danoerous
bite than the rattle snake The higsing snake
h!sses like goose. " We confined one saws
Mr. I. " with a stick across his back. and il in
stantly bit ITSELF and soon became swollen and
dled" The thorn snake has thorn in its tail
resembling that of a dunghll cock Wherever
lhe population becomes dense the swine prer
upon these terrible reptiles and they ouickly
disappear. Their resorts are near the basis Of
rocky hills, and near vast swamps People are
often bit by them, and the person that is badly
bitten, swells and soon becomes blind. The
bite is seldom fatal. Mr.. +. says lie has seen
great numbers that have been bitten, but has
never seen fatal case. lie describes. howey
er, a most tragical occurrence, more horrible in
l'''' f4i''' ''''' $50 Hampshire Gazette
An emigrant family Inadvertently fixed
their cabin on the shelving declivity of
ledge, that proved den of rattle snakes
w armed by the first fire on the hearth of
the cabin, the terrible reptiles issued in
numbers and Of course in rage, by night in
to the room where the whole family slept.
As happens in those cases, some slept on
the floor, and some in beds. The reptiles
spread in every part ofthe room, end mount
ed on every bed. Children were stung in
the arms Of their parents, and in each 9th
er's arms. Imagination dares not dwell
upon the horrors Of such a scene. Most of
| the family were bitten to death and those
who escaped finding the whole cabin occu-
pied by these horrid tenants, Kissing and
shaking their rattles, fed from the house
by beating off the covering of the roof, and
escaping in that direction.
THE CAMELIoN. There are varieties Of
small Camelions. They are apparently
harmless animals; though when we have
caught them they have showed every dis
position to bite. they viii change in half
an hour to all the colors of the PRISM
Green seems to be their favorite color, and
when on green tree, that is their general
hue, While in this color, the under part of
their neck becomes beautiful scarlet
Their throat sWells, and they emit sharp
note, like that of one of the larger kinds of
grasshoppers, when singing. We have
placed them. ON handkerchief, and they
have gradually assumed oil its colors.-
Placed on black surface, they become
|, brown; but they evidently suffer, while un-
der this color, as is manifested by uneasy
movements, and by strong and quick palpi-
tations, visible to the eye. They are very
active and nimble animals, three or four
inches in length.
ALLIGATOR. The Alligator is the most
terrible animal of this class. Vast numbers
are seen in the streams and shallow lakes
of Florida and Alabama: but they abound
most on Red river, the Mississippi lakes,
and the bayous west Of that river. On these
sleeping waters, the cry of a sucking pig
on the bank will draw shoal Of them from
their muddy retreats at the bottom. The
largest alligator, that we ever saw killed in
these regions, measured something more
than sixteen feet from its snout to the ex-
tremity of its tail. They have al times, es-
pecially before stormy weather, singular
roar or below. When moving about Oh
their customary vacations IN the water the y
seem like old logs in motion. In fine wealth.
err, they dole in listlessness on the SAM
bars. Such is their recklessness, that they
, allow the people in the passing steam boat.
: to come within few PAGES of them. The
ascent of steam boat on an alligator
, stream at the proper season for them, is
continual discharge of rifles at them. A
rifle ball will glance from their bodies, un
less they are hit in particular direction
J and place. We witnessed the shots of
man, who killed them nine fires out Of ten
They have large ivory teeth, which contain
, cavity sufficiently large to hold muske
/, charge of powder, for which purpose the,
! arecommonly used by sportsmen. The an
: imal, when slain, emits an intolerable smell
+. of musk and it is asserted that its hea'
contains quantity Of that drug. They vii
sometimes chase children, and would over
take them, were it not for their inability t
make lateral movements. Having few joint
in their body, and very short legs, they can
! not turn from straight forward direction
Consequently, they who understand thei