Ellsworth American., 1871-02-16
A Snake Child.

the writer was made acquainted with .
remarkable freak Of nature-One illus
trating the effects of certain influences
exerted before birth-in the person of
male child, known as ''snake- child"
| This is the sou of Mr.. -, of Uar-
| wich, little more than three months
Old, and regarded Is ''more snake than
human" During the term of pregna-
| cy, which was attended with various
| peculiar sensations, the mother was
in an unusual frame of mind, and
gratified kind of monomania for kill
ing snakes-never allowing an oppor-
tunlty for m encounter with them TO
pass unimproved. On one occasion
she fought two and half hours with
three large adders in al arbor, Mt last
conquering and killing them. On an.
other occasion she came suddenly up
on large black snake, the "size of
her wrist" which raised his head very
high and showed fight" True to her
strange impulse, she commenced the
attack and was the csnqueror, instead
of screaming, like most females, and
leaving the spot in haste, though his
snaAesnip presented formidable if
not irighttul appearance.
This monstrosity, which weighed
thirteen pounds mt birth, has the more
general appearance of human being
IN the outlines of the body, than in the
head anu limbs, though the shoulder
blade Is wanting, Or very unlike the
natural one. The head is very large,
having, at birth, the appearance, with
tue general expression of the face,
especially the upper part, oil u child ut
the age of two years. IL rises high.
The liue of the front and back bein.
near.y parallel, though inclining up
ward and forward with an arcned APP
pearance. The forehead is high and
projects considerably over the eyes.
Ihc ears, which are large, are located
very far forward, and about one inch
lower than usual, or about ON direct
line with the chin The eyes are large.
snahIsh, elongated, protrnding and
much III motion. The lower Jaw has
an unusual appearance, appearing as If
double, while the roof of the mouth is
narrow and deep, The mouth is open
save when nursing the bottle. The
tongue Is thick, rs thick as some two
or three ordinary ones, and Is vcry
actlye, slightly cleft at the tip, and i,
very smooth. The lips remain in one
position, about a Lalt-inch in u straight
line, ABOVE and below, with u gradual
curve toward the angles. The nose Is
rounded ut the tip, much depressed ut
the base, and the nostrils much dis
tended, the whole looking snaAisn lu-
stead OF the usual soft place in the top
vi the skull, there are two, one in the
7 foreiiead, ami the other far back, tine
skull between these more nearly resenl-
bling the back oil IL turtle than child's
head. There are two bony projections
IN the forehead, ever the eyes, like
and the eyes are deep cavities. The
face, winch Is lsng and large, with the
| exception of the mouth anu chln-tlls-
proportiouatety s,nail-has mature
EXPRESSION, rather snakisl; tue chin
being unusually pointed.
Inc feet and hands are the most re-
markable, evidently presenting the
deiorinity in It's worst aspects. Both
are unusually arched and in other re-
spects peculiar. The large toe Is short
ike thumb, incllnlng downward and
toward the hollow OF the foot, with the
small one, also. The remaining ones.
which are dislitutc OF the usual Joints,
are inclosed IN kind OF sheath, a
thick skin and some flesh, all termin-
attn, Al the ends IN one broad and
large nail, inclinInS downward like a
hail-tube. This nail, and indeed those
Of both the hands and feet, have a
decidedly snakish look.
The hands ARE still more peculiar,
rather more arched than the fee. Tue
bones of the hands are more distant.
relatively, than those of the feet, with
i deep cavity between, rather irregular
One of the toe bones is disconnected
with those OF the foot, passing, instead,
downward toward the hollow OF the
foot, there fioating with no attachment.
Others seem To be deficient in the
usual connection in this respect. The
palm is very deep, corresponding with
the unusual arch, both of the hands
and iingersheath. The thumb and the
small finger incline toward the palm
and are rather short, resembling the
general construction of the cores
| ponding members of the foot. though
the small fingers is more connected
with the others bv an arrangement
resembling that OF the we5-foo The
| remaining three are almost in the form
of a triangle, joining at the ends iii one
general broad and large nail, extend
| ing down to the sides of the fingers,
almost inclosins them. couiu detect |
no joints in these fingers, only the one |
joining them to the hand. The little |
fellow seemed unwilling to have his |
hands held long enough to have them |
carefully examined making one feel |
that he was handling snake. The |
general appearance of the hand, the |
form of inclosed fingers, the form of |
the nails, &C., are wonderfully sugges
tive of the snake. Indeed, one can
scarcely look vt this unique creature,
observe the almost continual motion of |
the hands, feet, tongae, the turning of
the head from side to side, and see the
snakish aspect, without feeling kin,l
OF shuddering, wish 10 Withdraw from
his presence, so snakish is he in hi, |
appearance and movements.
}. II. HANAFORD, NJ. d.,
Reading, Mass