Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1827-11-15

S~tuiffness, &c Of The Rattlesndke
Rattlesnskes hunt and secure for prey,
with ease, grey squirrels that abound.
in our woods; therefore, they must
be possessed OF swifIness to obtain
them Having enjoyed the pleasure
of beholdlng such a chase in foil view,
in the year 1921, | shall detail its
circumstances:-Whlls lying on the
ground, to watch the hibts # a bird
which was new to me, previous to
shooting it, l heard a smart rustlng
not Gar from me, and turning my head
that way, saw, al the same moment, a
grey squirrel, foil grown, issuing
from the thicket, and bouncing off ina
direction, in leaps OF several feet at a
time; and not more than twenty feet
behind, a rattlesnake Of ordinary size,
pursuing, drawn out, apparently at
full length, and sliding over the ground
50 rapidly, that, as they both moved
away from ME | vas at no loss to
observe the snake gam upon the spur
rel The squirrel made for a tree, and
lscended its topmost branches as him
bly, as squirrels are known to do. The
snake performed the same task consi
derably more slo" y, yet so fast, thai
he squirrel never raised his tail no.
harked, but eyed his enemy atten'ively
as he mounted and approached. WbeI
within a few yards, the squirrel leap
ed 10 another branch, and the snake
followed by stretching out two thirds
Of its body, whilst the remainder kept
it securely from falling Passing thus
from branch 10 branch, with d rapid
y that astonished me, the squirrel went
n aud Out of several holes, but re
NAMED IN none, Knowing well, shat
wherever his head could enter, Ihe
body OF bis antagonist would follow;
and at last, much exhausted and terri
fled took a desperate leap, and came to
ne earth with legs and tail spread to
their utmost, to cas- the fall. That
instant the snake dropped also, and
was within a few yards OF The squirrel
before it begun making off. The chase
on land again took place, and ere the
| squirrel could reach another tree, the
snake bad seized i. by the back, near
| the occlput, and soon rolled itself ahou'
it in such a way, t!'nt although heard
the cries of the victim, | scarcely saw
any portion of its body So full ofits
ultimate object was the snake, that ii
| paid no attention TO me; aud ! APP
preached it to see in what manner it
would dispose of its prey. A few
minutes elapsed, when | saw The rep
tile loosening and gradually opening
It's folded coils, until the squirrel was
entirely iIsengaged, having been kill.
ed by sutfocstion The snake then rails
ed its body from the ground, aud pas
sed its head over the dead animal in
various ways, Il assure itself that liiv
had Departed; and then took up the
end of the squirrels tail. swalIowc ed il,
gradually; bringing first one and then
the other of the mad legs parallel with
it, and sucked with difficulty, aud for
some time, a, them and the rump OF
the animal, until his jaws became SO
expanded, that after this. it swallow
ed the whole remaining parts with ap
parent ease. This mass of food was
removed several inches from the head
IN the stomach of the snake, and gave
il the appearance Of a fouleau OF mo
ney, brought both ends Of o purse to
wards its c. centre; for Immediately after.
the operation Of swallowing was CON
pleted, the jaws and neck resumed
their former appearance. The snake
then attempted to move off, but this
was mex to impossible; when, having
cut a twig, | went up to it. and tap
ped it on the head; which it raised, as
well as its tail, and began for the first
time to rattle. was satisfied that, for
some lapse of time, it could not re
move far, and that, the woods being
here rather thin, it would soon become
the victim Of a v%ulture. l then killed
it and cut it open, TO see how the
squirrel lay within. | had remarked
that after the process of swallowing
was completed, singular movements
of the body had taken place; a kind
of going to and fro for a while, not
unlike the convulsive motions of a sick
animal. as a dog, for instance, going
to vomit l concluded that some in
ternal and necessary Operation was 90