The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-02-02

servants purity, honesty and economy
in public administration.
l. f
How Ratt,cSnakes are born.
About the 10Th OF May last Doctors
Cardwcll and Westmore!and captured,
lat Prospect, in the lower edge OF Giles
county, near the Alabama line. a rattle
snake four fee. three inches long. and
five inches in circumference. The snake
was sent to the exposition. but the man
ayers not deeming it proper to receive
lii. it was scntto the drug store of Messrs.
Berry 81 Demovillc, who also declined
10 give it quarters. 1t was then sent to
the drug store of NJ. G. Cotton, in South
Nashville. where il has been since the
18th OF May. When captured it had
Ieight rattles and biitton.s Since that
time it has been confined im aglass case.
and has not rar;akcn Of one particle 0f
food. though il has been tempted with
mice aud other small animals. on. W wbich
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 contin-
ued to glisten like magnetic steel, and its
iancinaiing tongue ready TO protrude 1t
the appearance of any one near the case.
DIR. Cotton thought all the while it was
a male. Though small mice and rats
have been confined in the case with the
snake until their own hunger urged them.
Ito bite at its scaly hidsv-rxU serpent res
fusctf- 10 give tIcin notice, or to partak0
Of food. On two or three occasions It
has taken small quantities of water. On
Thursday, at ! o'clock, on going into tho
back room Of the store where the case il
kept, it was discovered that the snake
had given birth TO four young snakes.
and by three o'clock she bad given birth
to three more, making seven In all. Tho
young snakes made their appearances
one mt time, and, in q acoiled or striking
position, their eyes glistcned and their
envenomcd tongues continually darting
out. The young ones are each from
nine to fifteen inches in length, and in
state Of perfect development. They are
quick Of motion, and possess no ordinary
spinal vitality, rs they crawl readily to
the top OF the case and move with cclerity
across and around il from end to end.
What is most singular and contrary to
all the received notions concerning the
reptiles, each Of these Young snakes has
a full button on the tail, which clearly
refutcs The idea TINT they lave TO be six
months old before the formation of the
button. The old snake was lying in her
cage in lethargic state, with some in
as the doctor thought, Of in
creasing the .oiiing family. The young
snakes coil around her and under and
over her, and she seems to have for them
the natural maternal affection Of instinct.
This snake has been in captivity near
four months, yet during all that period
she has partakcn Of NOT morsel Of food,
and has brooded her seven young. Az,
to exactly how long from inception the
process of CESSATION or incubation has
been going on, there il no means Of as
certaining, as We can only date from her
captivity.
DIR. Cotton informs us that he orce
before kept in the same case alarge-sized
rattlc-snakc for three years and nine
months, and that he studied closely its
various moods and changes. This snake
he says, did not partake Of a particle OF
food for the first nine months, and but
little water. He then gave II mice, rats,
ETC., putting the same into the case alive
and 1t commenced devouring them voro-
lci0usly. 1t never would touch lame
mouse or dead one, fresh as 1t might
be. when young rat was put into the
case, il would plant its unerripg fbng in
some part of the limb or body, aid then
wait until it died from the thor ,ugh in.
oculation Of the poison. When quite
dead il would turn it over, take II head
foremost and swallow 1T evidentlv
drawing nutrimcnt from thu poison its
own fangs had infused. II shed its skiu
twice year svrin~ and autumn
. new rattle appear ing At each shedding,
which explodcs re opular notion that
but one rattle COM s year. Yesterday
morning ra doc',o took the case and
placed y III the sun. From the effects Of
the s'.u three Of the young snakes died.
~ others become stnpetcd, but rec0v-
= ed their vitality on being removed to
the shade. The circumstances attracted
fllarge numbers Of visitors to the drug
! store to see the vcnomous family yester.
day evening. Nashville American.