Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-07-12
The Enemy Of the Snakes.
How HOG. Destroy IN. s.rp.nts,

ANeNN nus 0N~NAbg NA-N RNAAt'F
The Anglo-Saxon or American differs
from the effete East Indian respecting
veneration for snakes. He kills the
snake and fosters the hog, who is de-
cidedly the most inveterate snake-killer
of the two. When the Anglo-American
undertakes the settlement of a new
country, he wants three things above all
others An axe, rifle, and hog. If
he chances to go into the wilderness
alone, however, the hog soon follows as
an inevitable consequence. Just in
proportion as the hog multiplies and
increases in newly-settled country, in
the same ratio do serpents and poisonous
reptiles disappear. 1t is not meant to
be implied that any such motive as
snake-killing enters into the calculations
of thefrontiersman in raising hogs. In
general, he does not give the snakes
that may infest his neighborhood a
thought. He kills them when they
come in his way, and forgets them.
The hog does the most of that sort of
work. Heis most industrious forager,
always roofing around in quest of some
thing to eat. In his incessant search
for provender ne oftimes disturbs the
snake in his lair, who as rule would
prefer to be left alone but the hog
won't let him alone, but snaps him be-
tween his teeth, crushes, and devours
him.
These are also active enemies of the
snake to be found among the things
| Id ~,
the elk, etc., which kill by crushing
him beneath their sharp hoofs. But
these animals only destroy the snake
when he comes in their way. The hog
goes at him with the two-fold incentive
of destroying an enemy and devouring
hiS. The result is the snakes give up
the contest after while and glide off
to some rocky fastness or impenetrable
fen. The hog is almost impervious to
the bite of the most deadly serpent.
Like the hero Of Greek fable he has but
one assailable spot, which lies, not in
his heel, but in his neck. If the snake
chances to strike him on the main
artery, where it passes through the neck
near the skin, the hog dies. If he
strikes him at any other point the wound
amounts to no more than the prick of 6
pin would, the virus taking no efect
whatever. The quadruped seems to be
aware of this one danger, and guards
against it with the skill of o veteran
warrior. f.'. t. .-'.f {
The writer once witnessed a comba
between a SOW and a rattlesnake of the
largest kind, his attention being at
tracted to the scene by the angry screams
of the hog. The snake lay in coil be
meath a spreading live oak. The broad
combative head was raised rigidly abou
six inches over his coiled body, his eyes
bright as diamonds, flashing fury, ant
his forked tongue darting defiance a
his enemy. Every muscle, now in ten
} sion, could be traced beneath his skin
while his tail, slightly erected and tremu
lous with nervous energy, gave fortl
from the tapering rattle at its extremit,
that peculiar, sharp, ringing sound
person never forgets who has heard i
once. The SOW, with bristles erect ant
tusks bare, circled round the snake
, gnashing her teeth, grunting and snarl
ing at him with rage. She shove,
game, but nothing like the nerve of he
sinewy antagonist. The SOW made di
vers demonstrations or feints, to whicl
, the snake responded by striking iron
half-coil, but each time instantly recov
, ering himself. At length, the SOY
coming within his reach, the snak
made a desperate spring of his entir
length, fastening his fangs in her for
. leg as she sprang away from him. TIL
sow ga We an agonized squeal, but quick
, disengaged herself, and before tn
snake could recover his coil her foe
+ was on his neck, and in another instar
she had snapped off his head.