The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-05-01
Ra ttiesuakes and their Habits

Ordinarily, the rattlesnskc ID OK.
tremciy sluggish, and unless molest
cd there is but little to fear from II
during the greater portion Of the
year. just before and Just after ia
winter sleep, however, IL is more &C
tive, and often assumes the often.
sive. In order to strike, il must lie
in close coil, with its head and
mock erect. In this position Il
threws itself forward about three.
fourth its length, supporting its
weight entirely upon the remaining
fourth. When molested or alarm.
cd, or when about to attack, the
rattle is violently shaken but prac
tically this serves little purpose rs q
warning, since when excited the crea.
ture strikes at the intruder with the
quickness OF lightning, aud almost
simultaneously with the sound oi
the rattle. The statement that the
noise of the rattle is peculiar, AMI
once heard will never after be mis-
taken, is emphatically denied, the
writer averring that he has known
the opinions OF those who had fre.
quently heard the sound divided as
to whether q certain ominous click
ing arose from the grasshoppers,
which were in great numbers, or a
rattlesnake." Contrary to the com.
mon belief, the reptile also often
leaves its hole and moves, about
after sundown, not seldom crawling
into tents, and even into beds, du,
ring the night. The notion that
venomous snakes do not bito twice
in succession is also pronounced or.
ronious, the writer mentioning a
case where he saw the rattlesnake
strike three times with electric
quickness, each timo leaving the
marks Of its fangs on tho trousers of
tho person attacked.
But with all its quickness and ir.
ritability the snake frequently refu-
ses to bite, even when crowded to
the closest quarters. 1t is related
that often when trod on it fails TO
retaliate and ono remarkable in
stance is given where gentleman
on coming out of the river Platte
after bath. aud entirely naked, sat
down upon rattlesnake, and dis
covering his mistake suddenly ro-
sumed his legs. without auffering
any harm beyond a severe fright.
The peculiar odor Of the rattlesnake
is vouched for, and we are told that
when one irritated aud made to bite
the rake or hoe with which it is in
tent to kill him, the implement will
retain the same unpleasant smell for
months. Once known, the odor is
always recognizable.
The bite of the rattlesnake. nc.
cording, to this observers expert
ence, Is neither SO rapidly fatal nor
SO incurable as most people suppose.
or thirty persons bitten by the rat.
tlesnnko, ho states that all recovered
but one, and he lived twelve days
after the accident. OF the whole
thirty, this was the only case which
received surgical advice but wheth.
er it was the bite or the advice that
killed thepatient wo are not informed
Whiskey the writer regards as
specific for the bite of the rattle
snake, and relates numerous iustan-
ces which illustrate the wonderful
power of this agent when admins
tered in sufficient quantity. Ii is
we'll known to physicians that per-
sons suffering from diseases attend
ed with severe pain will often toler
ate much larger doses of epium or
other narcotic than could otherwise
be borne. Persons poisoned by the
bite Of n rattlesnake manifest simi-
lar tolerance for immense doses of
whiskey, quantities sufficient to
make we'll person stupidity drunk.
and even to destroy life, often pro-
ducing no visible effect upon the
sufferer from snakebite. Yet, to be
of any service to the patient, it is
asserted that he must be made thor
oughly drunk before it is safe TO
suspend the administration Of the
remedy. A quart or more Of raw
whiskey is fequently required TO bring
about this condition but when once
it is attained, no further danger need
be apprehended.
While the rattlesnake is found
spread over large portion Of North
America, it is much more abundant
in some localities than in others,
Texas probably holds an infinitely
larger proportion Of these reptiles
than any other State in the Union.
The district lying between the Rio
Grande and the Nueces, two streams
which flow in the same direction and |
some sixty or seventy miles apart, is
a desert region, literally swarming
with poisonous serpents. "In sum
mer, says the writer, zone cannot
go fifty yards in this locality without
seeing rattlesnake. In other parts
Of the State the mocasin is the pre-.
valent snake; while centipedes,
scorpions, tarantulas and alligators
infest various localities, and are each
a terrible scourge.
All writer's have hitherto concur
red in saying that rattlesnakes are !
never met with at an elevation of
more than 5000 feet above the asa
level. Tho surveying party of Mr.. |
Morley killed numbers of them last