Weekly Trinity journal., 1872-09-07
How RatGIesnakes Multiply.

About the tenth of May last, Drs.
Cardwell and Westmoreland captured at
Prospect, in the lower edge Of Giles coun-
ty, near the Alabama line, a rattlesnake
four feet three inches long, and five inches
in circumference. When captured it
had eight rattles and button. Since
that time it has been confined in glass
case it has not partaken of one particle
OF food, though it has been tempted by
mice and other animals upon which the
reptile is accustomed to feed. The snake
manifested no inconvenience from its
confinement, nor did it lose any in size or
bodily vitality. Its eyes continued to glis-
ten like magnetic steel, and its lancinat
ing fangs to protrude at any one near the
case. DR.. Cotton thought all the while
it was a male. Though small rats and
mice have been confined in the case with
the snake until their own hunger COM
PEELED them to bite at its scaly hide, the
serpent refused to give them notice or
partake Of food. On several occasions it
has taken small quantities of water. On
Thursday, at o'clock, on going into the
back room Of the store, where the case is
kept, it was discovered that the snake
had given birth to four young snakes,
and by o'clock she had given birth to
three more, making seven in all. The
youhg snakes made their appearance one
at a time, and in a coiled or striking po-
sition, their eyes gistening, and their en-
venomed tongues continually darting out.
The young ones are each from nine to
fifteen inches in length, and in a perfect
state Of development. They are quick Of
motion and possess no ordinary spinal
vitality, as they crawl readily to the top
of the case, and move with celebrity across
and around 1t from end to end. What is
most singular and contrary to all the re-
ceived notions of the reptile, each Of these
young snakes has full button on the
tail, which clearly refutes the idea that
they have to be six months old before the
formation Of the button. The old snake
was lying in legarthic state, with indi-
cations, the doctor thought, Of increasing
the coiling family. The young snakes
coiled around her, under her and over
her, and she seems to have for them the
maternal affection of instinct. This snake
has been in captivity near four months,
yet during all that period she has not
partaken Of q morsel Of food, and has
brooded her seven young. AS to exactly
how long from inception the process of
CESSATION or incubation has been going
on, there is no means of ascertaining, as
we can only date from her captivity. DR..
Cotton informs US that he once before
kept in the same case a large esized rattle
snake for three years and nine months,
and that he studied closely all its various
moods and changes. The snake, he says,
did not partake of particle Of food for
the first nine months, and but very little
water. He then gave it rats, mice, ETC.,
putting the same in the case alive, and
It commenced devouring them voracous-
~. 1t would never touch tame mouse
or a dead one, fresh as it might be.
When young rat was put into the case,
he would set his unerring fang in some
part of the limb or body, and then wait
until it died from thorough incubation Of
the poison. When quite dead it would
turn it over, take it. head foremost and
swallow it, evidently drawing nutriment
from the poison its own fangs had pro-
duced. 1t shed its skin twice year
each Spring and Autumn-a new rattle
appearing at shedding, which exp!odes
the popular notion that but one comes a
year. Yesterday morning the doctor
took the case and placed it in the sun.
From the effects Of the sun three young
ones died. Two became stupefed but re-
covered their vitality on being removed
to the shade.-NdShUtlIe Ame17cdn.