The Republican journal., 1871-10-19
About Rattlesnakes.

The Lynchburg Republican publishes
the following ''snake stories," and says
they can be substantiated by indisputable
testimony. They are only some Of the
trihing experiences of the mountaineers
with the rattlesnakes
There are in the Blue Ridge two dis
tinct species,--the yellow and the black.
The yellow was formerly supposed to be
male, and the black the female but the
fallacy of that opinion is demonstrated by
the fact that in many localities only one ct
these kinds is ever seen, and also by the
great difference in size and form, the
| yellow being very thick and short, and
| the black long and slender. But both Of
these species are beautifully ornamented
with flowers, which in the sunlight par
| take of all the colors of the rainbow. The
| yellow snake is much less liable to rattle
| than the black, and therefore most to be
dreaded, though no dependence need be
placed in either, as it depends altogether
upon the caprice Of the moment when
they retreat, advance, rattle OF play pos
sum The partially Of this snake for
the company OF children has been fire.
quently noticed among the mountaineers,
one instance of which is familiar to some
of our Bedford readers. A few years ago
a farmer, whose cabin stood in one of the
widest localities about the mountains, on
coming into the house one day, discover
ed his little daughter two years old, Sit
ting up in bed. where she had been placed
when asleep by her mother. The child
was laughing immoderately, and showing
| by its every action and expression OF
countenance that it was greatly pleased.
The father approached, when to his hor-
ror he discovered that an enormous yellow
rattlesnake, the largest he had ever seen,
was in bed with the child, and actually
coiled around her body. His presence in
stantly wrought a change in the conduct
of the snake, which deXterously uncoiled
itself from around the child and assumed
an attitude of battle The mountaineer's
rifle hung upon rack over the door; he
grasped it in his hand with feelings which
cannot be described, and awaited an OPP
portunitv to shoot.
He had no sooner done so than the
snake commenced caressing the child by
rubbing his head fondly against her cheek,
and darting his forked tongue almost in
her eyes Then he would raise his tail
and rattle so rapidly as to make one con-
tinued sound, at which the child was
greatly delighted. But upon the least
tractcd parent, the snake would entirely
change the tone Of his rafting, and swell
To almost twice his natural size. During
all this time the child tightly grasped the
snake with its chubby little hands, and
ierked and twisted him about in 4 very
rude and uncercmonious manner, laugh
ing and talking to her horrid plaything in
Il perfect ecstasy OF delight. The state of
things was finally ended by movement
of the parent, which so enraged the snake
that he drew himself up into a tight coil
leaped out of the bed, and would have
buried his fangs in the farmers face had
he not quickly lodged to one side. AS ii
was. the serpent went over his shoulder
and out at the door, where he renewed
the signal for battle, but was quickly
stretched out stiff in death by a shot from
the rifle The child cried immuderately
Tor her pretty plaything, and if set dow
in any part OF the yard would immediate
" toddle toward the dead reptile.
\ party of young men in the same
neighborhood, only few years ago, had
very interesting adventure with rattle
snakes, which may be briefly stated. Early
in the fall of the year, and before
the snakes had housed up for the winter
this party went out one night on rae
coon hunt About midnight the dogs
freed family Of coons in one of tho
largest trees in the neighborhood. 1t wa:
decided to wait until daylight to capture
them, with the hope that the cutting dowl
of the tree could be dispensed with. The
young men lay down on the ground, ard
were amusing themselves with telling
stories, when one of the party, who was
thoroughly acquainted with the habit
and peculiarities of the rattlesnakes, sud
denly called out-'lie still, boys, dom
move for anything. There's rattlesnake'
here; heard ones rattle hit Il rock. II,
had scarcely spoken when an enormous
rattlesnakc came crawling over his foot
and following his leg to the body, crosse,
over his breast, striking his next neig Oh
) boris face. and crawling over his mouth
The third party was not touched by tn
: snake, except that his rattle tapped light
ly against his cap-brim as he passed. Tn
fourth huntsman heard the rattle, sprane
to his feet and assembled a tree with re
markable agility. This snake was i'm
: mediately followed by another, not quit
so large, and then by four very small ones
all of which travelled precisely the sam
path. When daylight came the raccoon
were shot, and then the search for tn
snakes commenced. They were found il
q hollow stump but a few steps of, an
were all killed. EVERY Saturday.