The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-08-15
HOW RattIesnallcs are Born.

Some months ago Doctors Cardwell and
Westmoreland captured, at Prospect, in the
lower edge of Giles County, near the Alabama
line, rattlesnake four feet three inches long
and five inches in circumference The snake
was sent to the exposition, but the managers
not deeming it proper to receive it, it was sent
to the drug store of Messrs. Berry & Demoville,
who also declined to give it quarters. 1t was
then sent to the drug store of NJ G. Cotton, in
South Nashville, where it has been since the
18th of May.
When captured it had eight rattles and
button. Since that time it has been confined
in glass case and has not partaken of one
particle of food, though it has been tempted
the reptile is accustomed to feed. The snake
manifested no inconvenience from its confine-
ment nor did it lose any in size or bodily vital
ity. Its eyes continued TO glisten like magnet
ic steel, and its lancinating tongue ready to
protrude at the appearance of any one near
the case. DIR. Cotton thought all the while it
was male. Though small mice and rats have
been confined in the case with the snake until
their own hunger urged them to bite at its
scaly 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.
On 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 CIV
en- birth to four young snakes, and by three
o'clock she had given birth to three more,
making seven in all The young snakes made
their appearance one at time, and in coiled
or striking position, their eyes .glistening and
their envenomed tongues continually dartlng
out. The young ones are each from nine to
fifteen inches in length, and in a state of per-
feet development. They are quickS. 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 it from end to
end What is most singular and contrary to
all the received notions concerning the reptiles
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 for
nation of the button. The old snake was
lying in her cage in lethargc state, with
some indications, as the doctor thought, of in
creasing the coiling family. The young snakes
coil around her, and under and over her, and
she seems to have for them the natural mater
nal affection of instinct This snake has been
in captivity near four months, yet during all
that period she has partaken of not 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 large-sized rattlesnake
for three years and nine months, and that he
studied closely its various moods and changes.
This snake he says did not partake of par
ticle of food for the first nine months, and but
little water. He then gave it mice, rats, ETC.,
putting the same into the case alive, and it
commenced devouring them voraciously: 1t
never would touch lame mouse or dead one,
fresh as it might be-. When a young rat was
put into the case, it would plant its unerring
fang in some part of the limb or body, and
then wait until it died from the thorough inoc-
ulation 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 infused. 1t shed
its skin twice year-each spring and autumn
"a new rattle appearing at each shedding
which cxplodes 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 three of the
young snakes died Two others became stupe-
fed, but recovered their vitality on being re-
moved to tho shade. The circumstance at
tracted large numbers of visitors to the drug
store to see the venomous family.-Nashrille
american.