THE RATTLESNAKE. 341

and of using them properly in their own defence, even before
those weapons subsist or are formed. Thus a young cock
will spar at his adversary before his spurs are grown; anda
calf or a lamb will push with their heads before their horns are
sprouted. ’”’

The Rattle. Ihe Rattlesnake belongs to America, and many
snake. exaggerated stories are current concerning it. At

certain seasons it is very fierce and its bite at all times very dan-
gerous, but in the ordinary way it will not attack anything but
the animals it feeds upon, unless molested. It has been tamed
and kept in cages, one in the possession of Mr. Pierce making
friends with a toad which was introduced to its cage for the
purposes of food, and allowed it to take many liberties.

The Sting * After the death of this snake,’’ says Mr.
of the Pierce, ‘‘ I examined his fangs ; they were sharp
Rattle- like a sickle; a duct led from the reservoir of
snake. ; r

poison at the bottom of the tooth quite through
its whole length, and terminated just by the point, which was
exceedingly sharp. Thus, when the fang is darted out it
-makes the puncture, and simultaneously the poison flows
through the duct, and is deposited in the very bottom of the
wound. As this rarely fails to touch a blood-vessel, the venom
is thus instantly issued into the system, and without delay,
commences the march of death through every vein and artery.’’
Mr. Smith in the Philosophical Transactions (1848) says :—
““If a venomous serpent be made repeatedly to inflict
wounds, without allowing sufficiently long intervals for it to
recover its powers, each successive bite becomes less and less
effective. A gentleman who had a rattlesnake in a cage, put a
rat in with it; it immediately struck the rat, which died in
two minutes. Another rat was then introduced, which ran as
far as it could from the snake, with cries of distress. In half
an hour, during which time the snake showed no hostility, on
being irritated, it struck the rat, which died in twenty minutes.
A third, and remarkably large rat, was then thrust into the