{Ground Rattle-Snakes.}
The Ground Rattle-Snake, Wrong Nam'd, Because It Has Nothing Like Rattles.
It Resembles The Rattle-Snake A Little In Colour, But Is Darker,
And Never Grows To Any Considerable Bigness, Not Exceeding A Foot,
Or Sixteen Inches.
He is reckon'd amongst the worst of Snakes;
and stays out the longest of any Snake I know, before he returns
(in the Fall of the Leaf) to his Hole.
{Horn-Snake.}
Of the Horn-Snakes I never saw but two, that I remember.
They are like the Rattle-Snake in Colour, but rather lighter.
They hiss exactly like a Goose, when any thing approaches them.
They strike at their Enemy with their Tail, and kill whatsoever
they wound with it, which is arm'd at the End with a horny Substance,
like a Cock's Spur. This is their Weapon. I have heard it credibly reported,
by those who said they were Eye-Witnesses, that a small Locust-Tree,
about the Thickness of a Man's Arm, being struck by one of these Snakes,
at Ten a Clock in the Morning, then verdant and flourishing,
at four in the Afternoon was dead, and the Leaves red and wither'd.
Doubtless, be it how it will, they are very venomous. I think,
the Indians do not pretend to cure their Wound.
{Water-Snakes.}
Of Water-Snakes there are four sorts. The first is of the Horn-Snakes Colour,
though less. The next is a very long Snake, differing in Colour,
and will make nothing to swim over a River a League wide.
They hang upon Birches and other Trees by the Water-Side.
I had the Fortune once to have one of them leap into my Boat,
as I was going up a narrow River; the Boat was full of Mats,
which I was glad to take out, to get rid of him. They are reckon'd poisonous.
A third is much of an English Adder's Colour, but always
frequents the Salts, and lies under the Drift Seaweed,
where they are in abundance, and are accounted mischievous, when they bite.
The last is of a sooty black Colour, and frequents Ponds and Ditches.
What his Qualities are, I cannot tell.
{Swamp-Snakes.}
Of the Swamp-Snakes there are three sorts, which are very near akin
to the Water-Snakes, and may be rank'd amongst them.
The Belly of the first is of a Carnation or Pink Colour;
his Back a dirty brown; they are large, but have not much Venom in them,
as ever I learnt. The next is a large Snake, of a brown Dirt Colour,
and always abides in the Marshes.
The last is mottled, and very poisonous. They dwell in Swamps Sides,
and Ponds, and have prodigious wide Mouths, and (though not long)
arrive to the Thickness of the Calf of a Man's Leg.
{Red-Belly Land-Snakes.}
These frequent the Land altogether, and are so call'd,
because of their red Bellies, which incline to an Orange-Colour.
Some have been bitten with these sort of Snakes, and not hurt;
when others have suffer'd very much by them. Whether there be
two sorts of these Snakes, which we make no Difference of,
I cannot at present determine.
{Red-Back Snakes.}
I never saw but one of these, which I stept over, and did not see him;
till he that brought the Chain after me, spy'd him. He has a red Back,
as the last has a red Belly. They are a long, slender Snake, and very rare
to be met withal. I enquired of the Indian that was along with me,
whether they were very venomous, who made Answer, that if he had bitten me,
even the Indians could not have cured it.
{Black Truncheon-Snake.}
This sort of Snake might very well have been rank'd with the Water-Snakes.
They lie under Roots of Trees, and on the Banks of Rivers.
When any thing disturbs them, they dart into the Water (which is Salt)
like an Arrow out of a Bow. They are thick, and the shortest Snake
I ever saw. What Good, or Harm, there is in them, I know not.
Some of these Water-Snakes will swallow a black Land-Snake,
half as long again as themselves.
{Scorpion Lizard.}
The Scorpion Lizard, is no more like a Scorpion, than a Hedge-Hog;
but they very commonly call him a Scorpion. He is of the Lizard Kind,
but much bigger; his Back is of a dark Copper-Colour; his Belly an Orange;
he is very nimble in running up Trees, or on the Land, and is accounted
very poisonous. He has the most Sets of Teeth in his Mouth and Throat,
that ever I saw.
{Green Lizard.}
Green Lizards are very harmless and beautiful, having a little Bladder
under their Throat, which they fill with Wind, and evacuate the same
at Pleasure. They are of a most glorious Green, and very tame.
They resort to the Walls of Houses in the Summer Season,
and stand gazing on a Man, without any Concern or Fear.
There are several other Colours of these Lizards; but none so beautiful
as the green ones are.
{Frogs.}
Of Frogs we have several sorts; the most famous is the Bull-Frog, so call'd,
because he lows exactly like that Beast, which makes Strangers wonder
(when by the side of a Marsh) what's the matter, for they hear the Frogs low,
and can see no Cattle; he is very large. I believe, I have seen one
with as much Meat on him, as a Pullet, if he had been dress'd.
The small green Frogs get upon Trees, and make a Noise. There are
several other colour'd small Frogs; but the Common Land-Frog is likest a Toad,
only he leaps, and is not poisonous. He is a great Devourer of Ants,
and the Snakes devour him. These Frogs baked and beat to Powder,
and taken with Orrice-Root cures a Tympany.
{Long black Snake.}
The long, black Snake frequents the Land altogether,
and is the nimblest Creature living.
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