National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-11-07
Rattlesnskes.

A correspondent OF the Germnntow
pa. Ietcgraph writes as follows abol
D.. his experiences with these unattracti,
reptiles "Some ycars pgo j was ~
y gagged in selling and settling . vii
!, tract Of land In the interior Of Peni
y sylyania beyond the Allegheny Moui
), tains. The character Of the countr
y was varied by hill and slope. but wit
' a very considerable portion adapted Il
. farm lands, intercepted by good.size
: creeks and smaller streams, aud covere
widh heavy growth Of timber, nfiori
- ing n good cover for wild animals m
snakes.
The first sight | ever had OF q rattle
snake was while watching the cearin
, of space for putting Up n house
From an elevated stand on fallon tire
| noticed large snake lying at ful
length, but few feet from the wood
choppers and near TO one. Presuminl
II had been killed by the men, jumpe,
down 10 look, and landed about foo
from his head, at which movement h,
coilcl defantly, and I, a good dea
: astonished at this change, at once re
bounded and got clear. On turning Il
him again he appeared in the same con
dition Of coil but /, as | afterwards
learned, was safe Mt the first Jump, fol
one foot in distance from his head on
the ground. added to sixteen inches re.
cession Of 1t to form his coil, made n
distance he could not reach in his strike
the throwing forward of his head in
that act being one-third Of bis length,
he being about four feet long. II has
been often stated that he puts forward
two-thlrds of his length but tina,
could not be, owing TO its formation,
one fourth being IN the tail, one.tlird
IN the neck and head tarering from the
thick body, and the body forming the
rest Of his whole length--that il, four
foot snake would. according 10 this
theory, have to throw forward thirty
two inches of his length, and that rest
! ing on tapering tail AZ base. This
is impossible. ! have desired thus 10
settle the point Of projection, from in.
formation received Of reliable woods.
men.
l now propose some account of the
rattlesnoke ut his den. On an occasion
OF passing down the creek adjacent TO
my residence in search OF stray cows,
reached, about noon, n strip Of narro WA
heavily wooded and with much drift
wood on the slope down to the water
edge. At one point large boulder or
rock had fallen from the hill and lay
about half its size in the stream, backed
by q growth of wild grass, and on its
level top some tufts of grass growing
from the cavities. My dog, n fine point.
er, suddenly parked. l soon perceived
! 1t was ut a snake, and moving quietly
forward, | called the dog of, not wish
ing to disturb the snake. and made n
detonr to get on tho surface of the rock,
which Afforded space Of about twelve
feet square. Passing between some
tufts, | discovered on my right snake
jnst emerging from them moving slow
towards me, in nm inquiring manner, as
IL 10 see what l was doing there. |
then advanced little to get out of the
way, and Immediately on my left, some
what IN tine rear from another tuft came
a snake IN manner similar to the first.
Finding 1t now time to get off the rock
50 AS to avoid all tufts, / looked back
to the hill, and Oh pile OF driftwood
about titeen feet from me, there np-
pcnred about six more of these reptiles.
ill quietly basking in the sun, and ap.
parentiy indifferent to the,scepe on the
reck. There may have been more in
number, but | did not look farther. As
did not contemplate fight, the only
course left was TO take to the water.
which | accordingly did by jumping of
the rock, and made across the creek.
" was much struck by this encount
er at their own home. 1t might have
been expected that they would show
some alarm and an appearance of de-
fence, IA IL the case with most wild ami |
mails at their dens, but here the three
sentinals came slowly forward, their
heads slightly raised, in the manner
stated no noise, no alarm shown. In
the wild woods where they roam singly
they move sluggishly, and you may
pass near without their attention but
If too near they will rattle, and if Won
persist they will coil in self defence.
Rapidly whipping them with a long
switch, they will break the coil and run
away.
The rattlesnake has peculiar way of
swimming. Abont half the thickness
OF the body shows above the surface.
and the head il raised nearly foot
above the water, after the manner of
ihe sea serper', The tail acting "a the
power. once whipped one
nto the water and marvelcd at his
node of getting along, aud indeed felt
'ather superstitious on the subject.
Wall now give description of the
angs and the pOison-received from an :
naturalist. Tie fang NAV !
'e likened to n cats claw in shape {
'olld until near the root, where a cavity {
y formed, having a small oritice at the s
bottom; Connecting with this cavity is i
duet leading to the back of the head.
md there Joining bag containing the 4
POISON. The fang is not set in the law t
It night angles to it, AZ Is generally '
hown III drawings, but az on angle that ]
flows sufficient length of he point to |
make the wound. The length from
he orliice to the point is about one +
uarter OF an incn-length of the duct c
the poison-bag one inch. 1t will be t
cen by this arrangement that wound
my be mace without infusing the e
Olson, II the strike penetrates less t.
nan quarter of an inch. 1t ia not "
nown whether the snake controls the e
mission OF the poison by action on the c
ag 1t may be presumed that it does. t.
n procuring its prey, hard strike n
la1y be required, which, by going it's "
Ill depth, would infuse the poison and v
poll Its food. In the case of wounds. a
wen III anger, that we hear of-some Il
Nal and Others easily cured-in the Il
liter case the strike must have been il
lort, the point of the fang only enter Il
Y, and the poison wasting on the CO
round. l know that there are differ
1t opinions about the poison passing
Ito the ynnnI tla -. u a. .