Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-08-14
Australian Snakes.

The following account of the sudden death
which follows touch from the tail of species
of Australian snake is copied from London
work entitled " RoYings in the Pacific.
Whilst on this visit, was fearfully convinced
Of the deadly venom of the reptile tribe. The
proprietor of the estate, observing small yell
low snake glide under some sawn timber, called
his men to remove it, that it might be killed;
as they were lifting the logs, the snake darted
between the legs of one of the men, and brush
ed him in passing.
ooh my Godn' cried he, what narrow
escape I've had! declare it touched me with
its tall"
The snake was killed, and the men returned
to their work, the proprietor remarlxing to me,
as we turned away,
L" If it had bitten any one, the bite would
have caused instant death . and he related sev-
eral instances that had fallen under his own OBJ
servation.
/ listened with all respect to his recital but
scarcely deemed 1t possible that the lnsignif-
cant little object lying stretched before me could
subdue to the earth the bulky frame of pow
erfl man. But too soon was to receive an aw-
tul demonstration of the truth of his assertions.
had walked as far as the township, and had
been absent half an hour, when on my return
was met by party bearing the startling intel
ligence that the man who cried out he had been
touched by the snakes tail was dead. Scarcely
credltng the report, hastened to the hut. but
there he lay, green and fostering; for strange
as 1t may appear, decomposition had already
commenced, and a fearful foam was issuing
from his mouth. Two minute punctures on the
poor fellows skin were the only marks discern.
able. 1t appears that about five minutes after
he had been struck, he complained of feeling
faint and sick, and his mate was only in time to
save him from falling: he struggled convusive-
ly minute or two, and then lifeless clod was
all that was left Of the stoutest and apparently
the healthiest man of the farm. The medical
man who was sent for, cautioned me against too
curious an investigation of the body. The
same evening, on his return home, his dog hap
pCuluA W woo ohhNh Wy
it on the nose, and thereby received instantane-
GUS death as the docter assured us it turned on
its side, scarcely utteriIg cry. The cast skin
of the snake that destroyed the farm laborer was
discovered near the spot where it sought con-
cealment and was informed by those acquain-
ted with the natural history of these reptiles
that Immediately after shedding their skins,
they are more than usually irritable and veno-
NOUS.
Whilst upon this subject, may mention
narrow escape | had myself. The whip snake,
SO called from his tenuity, is one Of the deadli-
est of the viperous race; and one day, as | was
in pursuit of ornithological specimens, espied,
pendant from the twig of waffle, the globular
nest of the diamond bird desirous to possess
myself of it, l climbed the tree, and wishing to
preserve the branch, jerked it towards me in
breaking it off, when whip snake darted from
the recess struck me IN the bosom, and passing
between my waistcoat and shirt rebounded on
the ground. | threw myself upon it before it
could escape, and stamped it in pieces with the
heel of my boot, Notwithstanding which por-
ton about four inches long, with the head at
tached contrived to work its way into hoe.-
The vitality of the dismembered parts was such
that, although crushed into more than fifty pieces
every portion was instinct with life and motion.
On examining the nest found nothing but the
skeleton frames of the parent bird, and its cal
low young. Knowing the danger l had escaped
after the event was over broke into a glowing
perspiration, as if had just emerged from
| hot bath