The Bladders Which Contained The
Poison And Several Of The Small Nerves Were Still Fresh, And Adhered
To The Boot.
The unfortunate father and son had been poisoned by
pulling off these boots, in which action they imperceptibly
scratched their legs with the points of the fangs, through the
hollow of which, some of this astonishing poison was conveyed.
You
have no doubt heard of their rattles, if you have not seen them; the
only observation I wish to make is, that the rattling is loud and
distinct when they are angry; and on the contrary, when pleased, it
sounds like a distant trepidation, in which nothing distinct is
heard. In the thick settlements, they are now become very scarce;
for wherever they are met with, open war is declared against them;
so that in a few years there will be none left but on our mountains.
The black snake on the contrary always diverts me because it excites
no idea of danger. Their swiftness is astonishing; they will
sometimes equal that of a horse; at other times they will climb up
trees in quest of our tree toads; or glide on the ground at full
length. On some occasions they present themselves half in the
reptile state, half erect; their eyes and their heads in the erect
posture appear to great advantage: the former display a fire which I
have often admired, and it is by these they are enabled to fascinate
birds and squirrels. When they have fixed their eyes on an animal,
they become immovable; only turning their head sometimes to the
right and sometimes to the left, but still with their sight
invariably directed to the object.
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