The Massachusetts Spy, And Worcester County Advertiser

MISCELLANEOUS.
REPTILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
Mr. Flint, in the Western Monthly Review for February, describes the various species of reptiles that infest the Western and South Western States. Among the venomous serpents are the rattle snake, king snake, water asp, copper head, moccasin snake, hissing snake, and horn snake. One variety of rattle snake is yellow, and is said to inhabit the same burrows with the prairie dog. The copper head is a terrible serpent, and is deemed to inflict a more dangerous bite than the rattle snake. The hissing snake hisses like a goose. "We confined one," says Mr. F., "with a stick across his back, and it instantly bit itself, and soon became swollen and died." The thorn snake has a thorn in its tail resembling that of a dunghill cock. Wherever the population becomes dense the swine prey upon these terrible reptiles, and they quickly disappear. Their resorts are near the basis of rocky hills, and near vast swamps People are often bit by them, and the person that is badly bitten, swells and soon becomes blind. The bite is seldom fatal. Mr. F. says he has seen great numbers that have been bitten, but has never seen a fatal case. He describes, however, a most tragical occurrence, more horrible in the relation than--
Hampshire Gazette.
An emigrant family inadvertently fixed their cabin on the shelving declivity of a ledge. that proved a den of rattle snakes. Warmed by the first fire on the hearth of the cabin, the terrible reptiles issued in numbers and of course in rage, by night into the room where the whole family slept. As happens in those cases, some slept on the floor, and some in beds. The reptiles spread in every part of the room, and mounted on every bed. Children were stung in the arms of their parents, and in each other's arms. Imagination dares not dwell upon the horrors of such a scene. Most of the family were bitten to death; and those who escaped finding the whole cabin occupied by these horrid tenants, hissing and shaking their rattles, fled from the house by beating off the covering of the roof, and escaping in that direction.
The Chameleon. There are varieties of small Chamelions. They are apparently harmless animals; though when we have caught them they have showed every disposition to bite. They will change in half an hour to all the colors of the prism. Green seems to be their favorite color, and when on a green tree, that is their general hue. While in this color, the under part of their neck becomes a beautiful scarlet. Their throat swells, and they emit a sharp note, like that of one of the larger kinds of grasshoppers, when singing. We have placed them on a handkerchief, and they have gradually assumed all its colors. Placed on a black surface, they become brown; but they evidently suffer, while under this color, as is manifested by uneasy movements, and by strong and quick palpitations, visible to the eye. They are very active and nimble animals, three or four inches in length.
Alligator. The Alligator is the most terrible animal of this class. Vast numbers are seen in the streams and shallow lakes of Florida and Alabama : but they abound most on Red river, the Mississippi lakes, and the bayous west of that river. On these sleeping waters, the cry of a sucking pig on the bank will draw a shoal of them from their muddy retreats at the bottom. The largest alligator, that we ever saw killed in these regions, measured something more than sixteen feet from its snout to the extremity of its tail. They have at times, especially before stormy weather, a singular roar or bellow. When moving about on their customary vocations in the water, they seem like old logs in motion. In fine weather, they doze in listlessness on the sand bars. Such is their recklessness, that they allow the people in the passing steam boats to come within a few paces of them. The ascent of a steam boat on an alligator stream at the proper season for them, is a continual discharge of rifles at them. A rifle ball will glance from their bodies, unless they are hit in a particular direction and place. We witnessed the shots of a man, who killed them nine times out of ten. They have large ivory teeth, which contain a cavity sufficiently large to hold a musket charge of powder, for which purpose they are commonly used by sportsmen. The animal, when slain, emits an intolerable smell of musk ; and it is asserted that its head contains a quantity of that drug. They will sometimes chase children, and would overtake them, were it not for their inability to make lateral movements. Having few joints in their body, and very short legs, they cannot turn from a straight forward direction. Consequently, they who understand their movements, avoid them without difficulty by turning off at right angles, and leaving the animal to move forward under its impulse in that direction. They are chiefly formidable to pigs, Calves, and domestic animals of that size. The skin of the alligator is valuable for the tanner.