The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-07-26
THE ENEMY OF THE SNAKES.
HOW HOGS DESTROY THE sERPENTs.

The Anglo Saxon or American differs
from the effete East Indian respecting ven-
Grafton for snakes. He kills the snake and
fosters the hog, who is decidedly the most
inveterate snake killer of the two. When
the Anglo American undertakes the settle
ment of a new country, he wants three
things above all others: an ak, rifle, and
hog. If he chances to 60 into the will
derness alone, however, the hog soon fol.
lows as an inevitable consequence. Just
in proportion as the hog multiples and in
creases in newly settled country in the
same ratio do serpcnts and poisonous rep
tiles disappear. 1t is not meant to be
implied that any such motive as snake
killing enters into the calculations of the
frontiersman in raising hogs. In general
he does not give the snakes that may in
fest his neighbor thought. He kills them
when they como in his way, and forgets
them. The hog does the most of that
sort of work. He is a most industrious
forager, always roofing around in quest of
something to eat. In his incessant search
for provender he ofttimes disturbs the
snake in his lair, who as rule would pre-
fer to be left alone; but the hog won't let
him alone, but snaps him between his
terth, brushes and devours him.
There are also active enemies of the
snake to be found among the things that
are fsre nature, such as the deer, 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 him. The result is the snakes
give up the contest after while and glide
off to some rocky fastness or impenetable
bite of the most deadly serpent. Like the
hero Of Greek fable he has but one assaila-
BILE spot, which lies, not in his heel, but in
his neck. If the snake chances to strike
him on tho 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 a pin would, the virus taking no
effect whatever The quadrnped seems to
be aware of this one danger, and guards
against it with the skill of veteran war
tor.
The writer once witnessed combat be-
tween a SOW and a rattlesnake of the larg-
est kind, his attention being attracted to
the scene by the angry screams of the hog.
The snake lay in coil beneath a spreading
live oak. The broad, combative head was
raised rigidly about six inches over his
coiled body, his eyes, bright as diamonds,
flashing fury, and his forked tongue dart
ing defiance at his enemy. Every muscle,
now in tension, could he traced beneath
his skin, while his tail, slightly erected
and tremulous with nervous energy, gave
forth from the tapering rattle at its extrem-
ity that peculiar, sharp, ringing sound a
person never forgets who has heard it once.
The SOW, with bristles erect and tusks
bare, circled round the snake, crashing
her teeth, grunting and 'snarling at him
with rage. She showed game, but nothing
like the nerve of her sinewy antagonist.
The SOW made divers demonstrations and
feints, to which the snake responded by
striking from half coil, but each time
Instantly recovering himself. At length,
the SOW coming within his reach, the snake
made desperate spring of his entire
length, fastening his fangs in her fore leg
as she sprang away from him. The SOW
gave an agonized squeal, but quickly dis
engaged herself and before the snake
could recover his coil her feet was on his
neck, and in another instant she had
snapped off his head.