The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-02-23
EMPORIA NEWS
FEBRUARY %, 1877
HOW RATTLEsyAKEs ARE BORN.

About the 10th of May last Drs. |
Cardwell and Westmoreland captur-
ed, at Prospect, in tho lower edge of |
Giles county, near the Alabama line |
q rattlesnake four feet three in
ches long and five inches in cireum-
ference, The snake was sent 10 the |
bnt the managers not
deeming it proper to receive it, it
was sent to the drug store ofMessrs
Berry 81 Demovllle, who also refus-
ed 10 give it quarters. 1t was then
sent to the drugstore of H. C.. Cot
ton, IN South Nashville, where it
has been since the 18th of MAY,
When captured it it had eight rattles
and button. Since that time it has
been confined in glass case, and
and has not partaken of one particle
OF food, though it has been tempted
with mice and other small animals
on which the reptile is accustomed
to feed. The snake manifested no
Inconvenience from its confinement
norsloss ofany size or bodily vitality.
Its eyes continue to glisten like
magnetic steel, and its lancinating
tongue was as ready to prelude at
the appearance of anyone near its
case. DR.. Cotton thought all the
while it was male. Though small
mice and rats.baye been confined in
the case with the snake until their
own hunger urged them to bite ST
its scaly hide, the serpent refused to
give them notice or partake of food.
On two or three occasions it has
| taken small quantities OF water.
On Thursday, at O'Clock, on going
into the room of the store, where
the case is kept, it was discovered
that the snake had given birth to
four young snakes, and by 3 o'clock
| she had given birth to three more,
making seven in all. The young
snakes made their appearance one
at time and in a coiled or striking
position, their eyes glistening and
the envenomed tongues continuous
ly darting out. The young ones
are each from nine to fifteen inches
in length, and in a state of perfect
development. They are quick OF
motion and possess no ordinary
spinal vitality, as they crawl readi-
ly to the top of the case and move
with celebrity across and around il
from end to end. What is most
singular, and contrary to all the re.
ceived notions concerning the rep.
tile, each of these young snakes has
a 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 her cage in &
lethargic state, with some indica
tons, as the doctor thought, o.
increasing the coiling family. The
young snakes coil around her anG
under and over, and she seem:
to have for them the natural mater
nal affection ofinsIinct. This SNAKE
has been in captivity near foul
months, yet during all that perioi
has not partaken of morsel of foo(
and has brooded her seven young
AS to exactly how long from incep
ton the process of CESSATION, or in
cubation has been going on, there il
no means of ascertaining, as we cal
only date from her captivity.
DR.. Cotton informs US that h.
once before kept in the same case
large sized rattlesnake for thre,
years and nine months, and that b.
studied closely its vabrious mode
and changes, This snake, he says
did not partake of food for the frs
2 nine months, and but little water
He then gave it mice, rats, etc, put
ting the same into the case alive
and it commenced devouring then
voraciously. 1t never would toucl
a lame mouse or dead one, fresl
as it might be. When a young "a
was put into the case it would plan
its unerring fang in some part o
the limb or body, and then wait un
til it died from the thorough inocu
iation of the poison. When quit
dead it would turn it over, take j
headforemost and swallow it, evi
IDENTIFY drawing nutriment from til
poison its own fangs had infused
It shed its skin twice year-eacl
spring and autumn new rattl
appearing at each shedding, whicl
explodes the popular notion tina
but one rattle comes a year.
. Yesterday morning the docto
took the case and put it in the sur
: From the effects of the sun three @
the young snakes died. Two other
became stupefied, but recoverer
their vitality on being removed in
to the shade. The circumstance al
tracted large numbers of visitors I
the store to see the venomous fami
ly, yesterday evening.