Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-04-05
REPTILES OF TIE MISSISSIPPI VAL
LEY.
CASSIUS.

NJ Flint, in the Western Monthly Review
70 February, describes the various ,prC.rs Of
rep les hat iri~s' the Western x South IVES.
tern States. Among tie Ven0mOns scrNcnls
are ne IA. lie soake, King snake, wafer a>p,cop-
h, adj, moccasin snaEe. s>lng snrk" and horn
sr.ke. One variety It rattle snake Is yellow,
aud ID sAiu inhahit tho same ht.rrows with
the prairie dog. The copper ut al IS terri
bic serpent, and is deemed II iuHic' more
dangerous bite than the rattle snake. Inc
Kissing snake hiss Ike goose. 1--WE cons
fined one Says Mr.. T.. with Suc% across
his back, and it instantly bit itself, and s'on
became swollen and died" The norm snake mas
thorn in ITS tail resembling that of i duushii,
cock.
Wherever the population becomes dense,
the swine prey upon tnesc terrible reptiles, ana
they quickly disappear Their resorts are
near the bases Of rocky nils, and near vast
swamps. People are ofyen bItten bv titym, and
the person that is bauly bitten sweIls, and soon
becomes blind. TIE bite is Seldom fatal Mr..
F. saws he has never seen fAta, Case.-He des
cribcs, however, most rraglca occurrence,
more horrible in The relation than the ancient
fiction Of LAGOON.
An emlgran, family inadvertently fixed ;heir
cabin OF the shelving dechvIty of ledgr tNat
proved Il den oil rattle snakes. Warmed BY tie
hrs, fire on he hearth OF the cabin, tie L r'iole
reptiles issued IN numbers: and OF Coais' III
rage, by night into the room, where the whole
fanny slept. AS harp rs IL those cases, some
sleep on me flor, aud some al brds. Zoe
reptiles spread In every part OF the room and
mounted or every bed. Children were sung
in the arms OF their parents, and IN each o.h>
ers aims. Imagination darts not dwell on the
horrors of such q sCeae. Most OF the family
were bitten 10 death; and those who escape d.,
6ndlng the whole cabin occupied by these hor-
rid tenants, kissing and shaking their ratdes,
hed from the house BY beating off the covering
of the roof, and escaping III that direction.
THE CAMELION.
There are varieties cf small Caneions.
They are apparently harmless animals, though
when we have caught them, they s"owrd er,ry
disposition 10 bite. They will Change III halt
an hour to all the colors of the prism. Green
seems to De their tavorIte color, aud when on
green tree that is their general hue. w NILE
in this color he Under part of their neck be
comes a 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 handkeroh icf, aud they have gradu-
ally assumed all its colours. Placed on bac k
surface, they become brown; but they evidently
suffer, while under this Colour, as is manifested
BY uneasy movements and by strong and quick
palpi,ations, visible 10 the eye. They are We
~ active and nimble animals, three or four
inches in length.
ALLIGATOR.
Alligator is the most terrible animal Of this
class. Vast Numbers are seen in tht SOW stream
and shallow lakes o. Florida aud Alabama; but
thew abound most on Red river, he Mississippi
lakes and the bayous west Of that river. Or
these sleeping waters, the cry Of sucking pig
on the bank will draw shoal Of them from
their II uddy retreats at the bottom. The larg,
est alligator that we ever saw killed in these