Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-05
How the Mathematics Multiply ana Re
pIenisIa the Earth,

About the 10th of May last Drs. Caldwell and
Westmoreland captured at Prospect, in the lower
edge OF Giles county, near the Alabama line, q
rattleslfske four feet three inches long and five
inches in circumference. When captured it had
eight rattles and button. Since that time IL
has been confined in a glass case; it has not par
taken of one particle of food, though 1t has been
tempted with mice and other small animals on
which the reptile is accustomed to feed. The
snake manifested no inconvenience from its con-
hnement, nor did it lose any in size or bodily
vitality. Its eyes continued to glisten like mag
netic steel, and its lancinating fangS to protrude
at the appearance of any one near the case, DR..
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 hum
ger urged them to bite at its scay hide, the
serpent refused to give them notice or
to partake of food. On two or three
occasions it has taken small quantities of
water. Thursday, at one 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 three O'Clock
she bad given birth to three more, making seven
IN all. The young snakes made their appear
ance one at a time ard in a coed or striking
position, their eyes glistening and their enven-
omed tongues continually darling 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 ordi-
nary spinal vitality, as they crawl readily to the
top of the case with celebrity, across and around
it from end to end. What is most singular, and
contrary to all the received notions concerning
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 her case in Il lethargic state, with
some indications, as the doctor thought, of in
creasng the coiling family. The young snakes
coil around her, and she seems to have for them
The maternal affection of Instinct This Lrp
has been in captivity near four months, yet
during all that period she has partaken of
not moisel of food, and has brooded her
seven young. AS to exactly how long from in
cepton the process Of CESSATION or incubation
has been going on, there is no means of ascer-
tanning, as we can only date from her captivity
Or. Cotton informs US that he once before kept
IN the same case large sized rattesnake for
three years and nine months, aud that he studied
closely its various moods and changes This
snake, he says, did not partake of u particle of
food tor the first nine months, and but little
water He then gave it mice, rats, &C., putting
the same into the case alive, and it commenced
devouring them yoraciously. 1t never would
touch tame mouse, or a dead one, fresh as ii
might be. When young rat was put into the
case 1t would plant lis unerring fang into some
part OF the limb or body, and then wait until il
died from the thorough incubation of the
poison. When quite dead it would turn it over
take 1t head foremost and swallow 1t, evidently
drawing nutrimeGt from the poison its own
iangs had infused, 1t shed its skin twice
yelr-each spring and autumn--a new rattle an
pearing at each shedding, which explodes the
popular notion that but one rattle comes year
Yesterday morning the doctor took the case and
placed it in the sun. From the effects of the
sun two young ones died. Two others became
supplied, but recovered their vitality on being
removed to the shade, = NdSAUitle (TeRn.)
american.