[212]

In accounting for origin of rattle snake no difficulty if it cd be shewn, rattle of any use and intermediate forms. (Do they go in pairs??) Those that think that an animal admirably provide to find its own sustenance shall purposely have a structure rendering such provision partly futile must yet be startled that other snakes quite as venomous & I believe incomparably more active & again others equally inactive have no rattle.

Now I have shewn

[2]

Now from habits of trigonocephalus we may suspect that the vibration of tail & consequent rattle is somehow useful & in the minute terminal button we have first indication of intermediate form as I long ago remarked. Has not rattle snake wide range – A small argument for utility of rattle or more properly that it is not injurious otherwise other venomous genera wd have beaten this out of the field.