The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-06-14
RattIesnakes.


rible fascination for the sons of Eve. and
naturally there has been much romancing
about their habits, especially the habits Of
the more venomous kinds. Most readers.
then, will be surprised at some statements
which they may read in the Scientific
Miscellany" of the GALAXY, where Mr..
Morley, chief surveyor of some railroads
in Colorado and New Mexico, sets down
some Of the results of his observation of
these reptiles, and corrects several popular
delusions in regard to them while confirm
ing some articles Of the popular faith.
The tales which one may hear among the
southern negroes about the rattlesnake's
ability to launch itself through the air to
distance of twice its length, Mr.. Morley
has never found verified in the course Of
his experience with many hundred snakes.
sit throws itself forward about three
fourths Of its length, supporting its weight
entirely upon the remaining fourth. In
order to strike, it must lie in a coil, with
its head and neck erect" Its venom is
not, as has been universally asserted, in
jected into the wound through hollow
fang; the fangs are hollow for a part of
their length, but the tip is never pierced;
.'the poisonsac, the position of which may
be roughly indicated by comparing it to a
gum-boil, is in such relation with the base
of the fang that, when the animal strikes,
pressure is exerted upon the sac, which
causes drop of venom to run down out
side the tooth into the puncture." Thus
it happens that rattlesnakes bites are
sometimes harmless when the creature
attemps to strike through cloth, the poison
being absorbed by the material. As for
the rattle, it is Of little value as warning,
for the striking is almost simultaneous
with the sound, and is done with electric
quickness--s0metimes is done twice. con-
trary to the opinion that venomous
snakes do not bite twice in immediate
succession. But if the warning is Of flittle
value, the bite on the other hand, is
reported by Mr. Morley to be much less
dangerous than he supposed. Of thirty
persons whom he has known to have been
bitten, all recovered except one, and he
lived twelve days after the accident. This
one, by the bye, was the only one Of the
party who had surgical aid. The best cure
for the bite, Mr.. Morley says, confirming
the popular belief, is to make the patient
drink whiskey enough to make him drunk
and he further says that much more
whiskey is required to produce this effect
than if the person drinking had not been
bitten. This specific, for such it may
almost confidently be called, is also in use
in the South, and sometimes really i'm
mense doses are tolerated, The peculiarly
offensive odor of these snakes is vouched
for by Mr.. Morley, who says that if zone
is irritated to kill him, the implement will
retain the same unpleasant odor for
months" One more error he corrects by
saying that he has frequently killed the
rattlesnake at an elevation Of about 5000
feet, although all writers on the subject
say that he never is found at greater
height above the sea-level than 6,00O feet.
These mountain snakes are said to be more
venomous than their brethren Of the low
lands, but this may be mere conjecture
based on the highland snakes greater
viyidness Of color. Nervous readers may
be pleased to hear that the part of the
United States where rattlesnakes are
most numerous is the strip Of land, sixty
or seventy miles wide, between the Rio
Grande and the Neuces, in Texas, which
swarms with them "0ne cannot go fifty
yards without seeing rattlesnake. Moe
casons, centipedes, tarantulas, and scorpions
are other inhabitants of this region.