The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-27

hand clasping dead hand, swhilesthes
threw a CLEAN of glory upon two faces,
Swallowed by the wing of the death-angel.
THE sERPENTS OF FLORIDA. -
a Florida correspondent of the New
York Sun gives the following details
concerning serpents in the Land of Flow
ers =
The genuine rattlcsnakc grows to a
monstrous size, and their colors are more
brilliant than those of the Northern
species. Capt. Devall, of Palatka, AYERS
that he saw one twenty years ago with
forty,seven rattles... Incredible as this
may seem, Col. Pratt, of the Palatka
Herald, declares that he has seen one with
fifty two. These serpents frequent high
sandy ridges, and occasionally Turk in
gardens and in plowed fields. They have
even been known to make their way into
barns and houses. The beach scrub,
where seldom burned, is alive with them.
Some monsters have been killed on An
astasia island, opposite St. Augustine.
In the spring have counted in one day,
on the beach between Canaveral and
Indian river inlet, ten freshly shed skins.
After one rattlesnake is killed another
is found near it. If the body of the dead
reptile is dragged through the house or
across cattle pen, its mate is pretty sure
to take up the trailssand@ follow asit:
Through the winter these snakes are dor
mant. They live in holes made by the
gopher and land turtle, and are concealed
in many of the old coquina ruins dotting
the eastern coast. AS the summer ap-
proaches they pair off and hunt in couples.
The numberless trails in the scrub and
savannas made by deer, coons, wild cats,
and offers, are their favorite lurking
places. Here they lie in ambush, and
many an unfortunate rabbit and opossum
falls under their fangs. ~
Nor are the low savannas and salt
water marshes free from the great snakes
Last summer as Judge Conner, of Live
Oak Hill, was crossing the wide open
prairie at the head of Indian river, he
saw plump gray squirrel cutting queer
antics on spot Of bare sand. AS the
sand was fully mile from any tree. and
covered with salt water six months in the
year, the judges curiosity was. excited. go,
To use his own words, i" the squirrel
was jumping around right smart, and ap-
peared as if he didn't know what to do
with himself" Its attention was not dis
tracted by the judges approach, for it
continued prancing over the sand in a
concentric course, as though crazed. The
judge walked up with the intention of
capturing it. Suddenly he was confront
ed by an enormous rattlesnake. It was
stretched ont in the wire grass surround
ing the sand, with it's head toward the
squirrel. On seeing the judge, it threw
itself into coil and made noise like
that of a buzz saw. Its tail ratified with
terrible earnestness. The squirrel ceased
his antics, and sat motionless as a statue.
Finding neither stick nor stone on the
prairie, the judge tried to scare the snake
by threatening gestures: These incensed
the reptile. It reared both crest and tail
darted its forked tongue, and jumped
fully eight feet toward the judge. His
honor then got angry, and threw clods Of
earth and grass. At this the serpent flew
into an ungovernable rage. Its eyes fair
ly flashed fire. II
Apparently aware that there was no
dangerous weapon within reach, it ran
straight for the judge, as though it meant
to close with him. It finally became so
active that Conner was glad to leave it.
As he walked away it resumed its posi-
ton, and the squirrel began his dance
death, charmed by its .buzzing music.
The judge says the snake was certainly
nine feet long. The mystery is, how
came the squirrel and its charmerI on
salt water prairie mile from any tree.
More singular still, these large rattlcrs
have been seen swimming in salt water:
DR.. Wallace, of Daytona, informs me that
he has seen them apparently crossing
from the beach to the main land at Castle
Windy. Three years ago, Captain Neil,
of New Bedford, one of Swift's livc-oak
superintendent, met monster near
Mosquito inlet. going out with the tide.
The snake espied Neil's boat, and made
a desperate effort to board her. The cap
tain beat it off with the oars, but the fight
lasted two or three minutes. The serpent
at last disabled, drifted away with the
current, and was finally swallowed by a
shark. R5 t''@ 4A5 ~
The larger rattlers are said to follow
herds Of cattle. Cow boys say that they
smell the milk dropping from the udders
of the cows and take up the trail, with a
view to- milking them. This is done
while the cows are lying on the ground
chewing their cuds. When the serpent
takes the feat in ita mouth tho cox,, afonn