The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-03-21

RATTTEsSAEES AND THEIR HABIT
r;iy the InttleSnakc Is extremely si"9s~''
and unless molestcd there Is littte rear i'o''
Il during the greater portion OF INC te"i
inst before and just after us winter s'''p'
however, it is more active, anu ".".i al"
suncs the offensive. In ordcr 10 s'ltN''
,nusf lie in close coil, with its head AMI NECK
nrect In this position it throws itself for
,vord about thrcc.!ourths OF its length,
s,,nnortiny its weight entirely upon the re-
msining fourth. When molcS!cd or alarmed,
ar when about to attack, the rattle Is
VIOLENTLY shaken; but practically this serves
little purpose rs warning, since Wra cN-
cited the creature strikes ut the intruder
with the ouickuesS of lightning, ana Almost
simultaneously with the sound OF the rattle.
The statement that the noise OF the rattle Is
reculiar. and once heard will never aitcrWard
he mistaken, is emphatically denied, Tie
writer ayerrinc that he has known the olil-
ions of those who have frequently heard tue
sound "diyi2cd as to whether certain om-
nous clicking arose from the grasshopperS,
which were therein great numbers, ora Iattie-
snske." Contrary to the common bciicf, the
remit also often leaves its hole ana moves
ohout after shutdown. not seldom Craving
into tents. and even into beds, during 'he
NIGHT. The notion that vcnonollS SNAKES 90
moi. bite twice in immediate SUCCESSION i
also pronounced erroneous, the Wfitcr ihch-
f;oninr q case where he saw The ratiicSn;tkc
strike three times with electric qu!chhcHS,
zach time leaving the marks OF It's lauss on
the trousers of the person attacked.
But. with all its quickncss and irritaol!!ty,
the snake frequently refuses 10 bite, even
when crowded to the closest quarters. Ii Is
related that often when trod on it fails to re-
tol;ate. and one remarkable instance Is given
where gentleman on coming; out OF the river
platte after Il bath. and entirely naked. sat
down ,,pon a rttt!csnake, and discovering his
mistake. suddeuly resumed his legs without
suffering any harm beyond severe fright.
The peculiar odnr Of the rattlesnake IS
youcbed for, and we are tod That wien one
is irritatcd and made TO bite the rake or hoe
with which it is intended TO Kill him, the i':l-
plement will retain tie same uhpicaS"t' :
smell for months. Once known, tie odor Is
always recognizable.
The bite Of the raticSnake. accorciGS 10
this observers experience, IS neither so
ronidIy fatal nor so Iucurabie is most people
sunnose. or thirty persons bitten by tic
r.ttlesnake he states that al recovered but
one. and he lived twelve days after the acct
dent. Of the whole thirty this was the only
case which received surgical advice, but
whether it vas the bite or the advice that
killed the uati.nt we are not informed.
Whiskey the writer regards rs specific
for the bite Of the rattlcsnake, and relates
numerous Instances winch Illustrate tue
wonderful power Of this agent when ad'nlH-
istereu in sufficient quantity. 1t j. well
known TO physicians tint persons suffering
from diseases attended with severe pain will
often tolerate much larger doses OF opium
or other narcotic than could otherwise he
borne. Persons poisoned by the bite OF a
rattlesnake manifest Il similar tolerance for
immense doses Of wh>key, quantities sul-
ticient to make well person Stupidly drllIk,
or even to destroy life, often producing no
visible effect upon the sufferer from snake
bite. Yet, to be of any service to the patient,
il is asserted that he must be made thorough.
" drunk before it is safe to suspend the adj
m;nistration OF the remedy. a quart or
more of raw wlIiskcy is frequently required
to bring about this condition; but when
once il is attained, no further danger need
be unprecedented.
While the rattlcSnakc is found spread over
large portion of North America, it is much
more abundant in some localities than ii
Others. Texas probably holds an infinite
~ larger proportion of these reptiles thar
any other State in the Union. The district
living between the Rio Grande and thu
Nucces, two streams which A0w in the sam;
direction and some TX Y or seventy mile
apart, is q desert reg on, literally swar'nin!
with poisonous scrpents. In SUMMER,
saws O n writer, zone cannot go fifty yard
in this locality without seeing rattlcsnakC
In other parts of the State the mocc'sln
the prevalent snake; while cen,ipcdcS, scol
pions, tarantulas, and sl!is'tors iHtcst va
rious localities, and arc each terrlbl
scourge."
All writers have hitherto concurrcd il
saying that rattlesnakes arc never met wit
ut an elevation Of more than G,o00 feet ahov
the sen level. The surveying party Of Nh
Morley killed numbers of them last year \
an elevation of about 5000 feet. Ii is added
however, that they were never found =
high before. The mountain snakes posses
more vivid colors than their brethren OF th
prairieS, and of the two are more dreaded OF
account Of their supposed terocitv. --Scten
ttfc Miscellany from april GALAXY.