The Teeth Of This Creature, When Dead, Are Taken Out,
To Make Chargers For Guns, Being Of Several Sizes, Fit
For all Loads.
They are white, and would make pretty Snuff-Boxes, if wrought by an Artist.
After the Tail
Of the Allegator is separated from the Body,
it will move very freely for four days.
{Rattle-Snake.}
The Rattle-Snakes are found on all the Main of America, that I ever had
any Account of; being so call'd from the Rattle at the end of their Tails,
which is a Connexion of jointed Coverings, of an excrementitious Matter,
betwixt the Substance of a Nail, and a Horn, though each Tegmen
is very thin. Nature seems to have design'd these, on purpose to give Warning
of such an approaching Danger, as the venomous Bite of these Snakes is.
Some of them grow to a very great Bigness, as six Foot in Length,
their Middle being the Thickness of the Small of a lusty Man's Leg.
We have an Account of much larger Serpents of this Kind;
but I never met them yet, although I have seen and kill'd abundance
in my time. They are of an Orange, tawny, and blackish Colour, on the Back;
differing (as all Snakes do) in Colour, on the Belly; being of an Ash-Colour,
inclining to Lead. The Male is easily distinguish'd from the Female,
by a black Velvet-Spot on his Head; and besides, his Head is smaller shaped,
and long. Their Bite is venomous, if not speedily remedied;
especially, if the Wound be in a Vein, Nerve, Tendon, or Sinew;
when it is very difficult to cure.
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