The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1828-04-14
MISCELLANY.
REPTILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI Val
LEY

REPTILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI Val
LEY
Mr. Flint. in he Western Monthly R,yiey
for / bruary. describes The various Specie, -
reptiles that inest the Western aud south W..
tern Sta'es. Among the ycnomous serpenls arr
rattle snake king SNAKE, water asp copperhc,s
moccasu saakc, Missing snake, and horn sn,,5s
One variety Of rattle snake is yellow. and sas
IN inhabit The same burrows with the prar,.
dog The copperhead Is terrible serpent. ard
IS deemed TO inhict amorr dangerous bite tia,
the rattle snake. The missing snake hi ses liza
a goose. " We confined one" SAYS Mr..
" with a stick across his neck, and il Instantly
bit itself, and soon became swollen aud dird'
fhe horn make has a thorn in It's tail resenbl0,
that ola nnghill cock.
Whenever the population becomes dense tie
swine prey upon these reptiles, and tbc, quickly
disappear Their resorts are near the bases Of
rocky hills. aud near vast swamps. People are
often bitten by them, aud the person that bad.
" bitten swells and soon becomes blind Ihs
bite is seldom fatal. Mr.. +. says be Las sea
great numb rs thai have been bitten but has
never seen latal case. He des lbes however.
most iras iCal occurrence more horrible in t.,
relation than the ancient &c ION Of Lancoen,
Al emieraut family inadvertently fixed Their
cshm on the shelving de llyity of irdge that
proved a Den Of rattle snakes. Warmed by fire
ir, ire ON the tearlh OF the eab'n, the terrible
fcptiles issaed III numbers, and OF course ir rage.
by GIT into tie room, " here the whole family
slept. As h9pp ns IN those cases, some sleep
on he ilaol, aud some IN beds. lie repu.t,
spread in every pafi of the room. and mounted
or every bed. Chlarrn wcrp S,ung IN tie arms
of thei parents, and in each other al'ns. lT-
agination darcs MOI dwell On the horrors of sueo
d scene. NJ st of he family were bitten to
death and those who escaped, finding the whole
cabin occupied by these horgid tenants. hl.so;
and shaking their alurs, fled from the mouse by
heating oil the covering OF The roof, aud esea.
ping n Tat direction.
The CaMehon.-lhere are varieties el small
Cameions The, ate apparently harmless an
mats though when we have caughl tim. .hey
show every disposition e. bite lhey vii chan;
in halt an hour 90 / the color5 of the PRISM.
Green seem, IL br then iayourlt6 COLI and
whcn on green tree that is tleir general nae.
" he in this color. the under part Of thea uttA
become. a beautiful scarlet.
Thpir throat SwcIlS, aud they emit sharp
note Ike tiat OF one at the Iargei kinds Of gias.-
hOUper-. WHEN singing. We have placed INN
on a handkerchief aud il has gradually a',H-
ed AL It's colours. Placed ON At b ack sui31a.
they become brown but Trey evidently 'uhti'
w'Ille under this colour, as is manifested by az
easy moE emruts, and b, STRONG ADD quick It-
p'atior. visible To the eye. lhae are very at
i've Hud nlmbIe animals, three o. iour meHe' "
ieneth.
ditzq'a--The Alligator is the most tfrf'7'
annal oi tbs class Num 'ers are seen IA 81"
streams AMI shallow Lakes OF Florida and a'a'
bamn hut they 4 ound most en- he Red Riytr
ihc MississtPpilakes aud the bayoas west oftHst
-. ftlsEf
sucking pig on the bank vii draw a ,hoa Of
them trum their mm'dy retreats At the bottom
! he largest alligator thai we ever "a" iHfdl7
these regions, measured something moe thai
sixteen feet from the suout 10 the extremity a
It's tail. They have AZ time, especially beiot
stormy weather, singular roat. or beo"'
When moving about on their C siomary VOC
TONS in The wafer, they seem like old logs in mo
ton In fine weather they doZe IN li5IcssnC's
on the sand baIs
Such is their recklessncss that they allow tl'
people on the passing steam boats 10 come IN
few pacas ofthem The ascent ola steamboat
on an alligator stream, at a proper season Tor
them, IS a continual discharge of rides Al tnfin'
rifle bad viii glance from their bodies, unies'
Ihey are hit in particular direction and place.
We witnessed the shots Of a man. who ktleu
them nine times in ten. Thy have large ivory
teeth which contain a cavity sufficiently large
10 hold musket charge of powder, for winch
purpose they are commonly used by spo'tsn9.
The animal, when slain emits an ntoIrrah'e
smell Of musk and is asserted that lis hean
contains quantity Of that drug They VIII
sometimes chase children and would oveflaN'
them, were il llfor their inability TO make Ia'
eral movements. Hasieg few joints N 'e 1,,
body, and very short legs, they eannet reaahy
turn from a straight forward direction. Coh'e
quenlly, those who understand their msf'
ments, avoid them without difficulty, by trnm'
off al right angles, and leaving the animal >"
move forward under lis impulse in that dee'
ton. They are chiefly formidable to ps
calves, aud domestic animals Of that size l''
SKIN of the alligator is valuable fer the tanner