Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-09-10

Meter piso'. Nc rfornance before it came out.
This nonum OF theirs no defence viii admit
- RxeenxthAf eissz'sRs bio. AN 40 h.sz'szzszz
MIR. Shu!tz, Cornplanter, as he styles him>
SELF has published in the National Int llieencer
avery curious memoir on Serpebts, addressed
TO the New-York Historical Society. lie con-
tends, from q series Of observations made by
himself, that snakes have not the power.o OF
"charmins"-ihat the generally received OPT,
Mon respecting the fatal consequences Of every
bite from our rattle snakes, is without founda-
ton; and SO i, is with another genera al opinion,
10 wit: "tha, all swine are great desroyers and
devourcrs Of snakes" which is very far from
being the truth. The following extracts will
be found Interesting:
sour rsttlesnake here, is the Same as those
] have found in Pennsylvania, New-York. and
all the Eastern aud Western States; and as they
are more generally discovered than others, /
have paid particular attention TO their habits
and dispositions, during al! the Summers which
! spent in Virginia. And l find myself war
ranted in saying, that have rot YET been able
10 oisco'ereitheI ratlesnake, copperhead, or
mockasin, (all poisOn ousl or even blat snake,
that was able TO strike an object, al a gteaer
u,
centre Of the coil. Nor have I, as YET, found
even one, which, by pro, oc alton, or o, herwi,e,
could be induced 10 advance upon, or attack,
man or beast; excepting, always. the smaller
kind oil birds and beasts, destined by ha'ure
Tor their prey AL ser penis invariably retreat !
from the face OF men and Children, if they are |
permitted time to do so. Nor will they even
attack the smallest cur dog, except in their
own defence. Yet, every snake will try 20 5ile,
as often as he is mol, sled, blu, no longer
When they strike they generally replace the
striking part Of The body in the same position
on the coil; but all our snakes are very easily
disabled: Tor single slight stroke from he
lightest cane, is sufhcien, 10 wound them so
that they will die. As TO the strange doc Urine,
Of these poisonous serpenls chasing men and
beasts, they are not deserving Of the Ieas, Gre
dir; for, after every inquiry, canno' find sin
gle instance, that can be traced TO a creditable
source. All our poisonous serpen,,, whethe
the ratrlesnske, cop2erh. ad or mockasin, are
shor, and thick; aud move so slowly, that, with
a stick 1lat,ering BE- hind tine m, they Cannot run
as fast as can walk. Our black snake, as well
as the racer, are quite harmless, and can run
pretty fast, but not more so than man. They
are very timid, and sometimes, when frighted,
will run past man and beast, on the road or i'm i
the field. have seen young men outrun and I
disable them BY single stroke OF a switch, i
within the short distance Of fifty or sixty "
,aids. n
have not seen any rat,lesnake in this coun. ! o
ry with more than fourteen ra,,les; or longer Il
han about four feet The bi,e of this formi- II
liable reptile, however, is found to be less dan. il
erous, in this country, than that of the copper d.
cad. But have inquired Of several, who Tor c,
heir children) had been bil'en by 5D,h Of those is
erpents, and they all describe he poison of in
nc latter to be more virulenr, and less easy to al
sre, than that oil the former. But, wha, is not 10