The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-10-28
Fascination.

In 1859 (twenty-one years ago) / fol-
lowed in the rocks of Avon. close paths
park OF FonGainebleau, the iairyoy the
OF Denecourt, when the approach of a
storm induced me to leave the blue
arrows, indicating the right path, for
short cut. / soon lost my way, and
toundsmyself in maze of brambles and
rocks, when was startled by seeing on
my left hand, at distance of about ten
yards. a snake, whose body, lifted up
from the ground at height OF about a
yard, was swinging 10 and fro. re-
mained motionless, hesitating whether
to advance or retreat, but soon per-
ceived that the snake did not mind me,
but kept on maintaining its swinging
motion, and some plaintive shrieks at
tracted my attention to greenhnch
perched on a branch OF young p ne
overhanging the snake, with his
feathers ruffled, folio wing by a nod OF
his head on each side of the branch the
motions of the snake. He tottered,
spread his wings, alighted on lower
branch, and SO on, until the last
branch was reached. / then flung
my stick at the snake, but the
point of rock broke it and
the snake disappeared with the rapidity
OF an arrow. On approaching the spot,
real abode of vipers, which did with
the greatest precaution, knowing by OBJ
servation that death may be the result
OF bite of viper, saw the greentinch
on the ground agitated by convulsive
and spasmodic motion, opening and
shutting his eyes. L put him in my
bosom to try the effect OF heat, and has
tened to reach the park of Fontaine bleau.
The little claws of the bird opening and
shutting, perhaps as an effect of heat,
made me think that he might perhaps
be able 10 stand on my finger, and he
did clutch it, and held on with spas
modic squeezes. In the park got some
water, and made him drink it. IN short,
he revived, and finally flow of in the
lime-trees of the park. Now, while fol-
lowing the motions of the snake and
bird, experienced q singular sensation.
felt giddy; a squeezing like an iron hoop
pressed in my temples, and the ground
seemed to me to be heaving up and down.
In fact, the sensation was quite analogous
to that experienced on beginning OF sea-
sickness. From these facts, would it not
seem probable that fascination is nothing
more nor less than an extreme ia tigue
OF the optic nerve, prod uced by q rapid
gyratory motion OF n shining Obi ect,
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coma? Curiosity rivets at first the
attention of the bird, unconscious Of
any danger, and when giddiness warns
him OF his peril it is too late. The snake
is as well aware OF this as the lophius
piscastorius is of the effect of his mem
brane. In this system the fact of the
bird coming down from higher to a
lower branch would be explained by
the supposition that, giddiness over
taking him, he opened instinctively his
wings and clung to the next support
that he found, the motion having par
TALLY removed the giddiness SO as to
enable him to hold last. Observe that
nothing hindered the bird from flying
away, and that the snake, being al
most five feet long, could never have
reached even the lowest branch. Besides
he could have no nest 10 protect, for in
the rocks of Avon there is no water
save rain-water in the hollows OF the
rocks, and this is not potable on ac'
count of microscopic leeches which
people it, the instinct of birds teaching
them to avoid it.-NGture.