River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-06-28
THE sERPExTs OF FLORIDA.

ers:
The genuine rattlesnake 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
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 a cattle pen, its mate is pretty sure
to take up the trail and follow IT,
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 APP
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 cpossum
falls under their fangs.
Nor are the low savannas and salt
water marshes free from the great snakes.
Last summer as Judge Common. 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 a 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.
To use his own words, the squirrel
was jumping around right smart, and APP
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
concentric course, as though crazed. The
Judge walked up with the intention of
capturing it. suddenly he was confront
ed by an enormous rattlesnakc. 1t was
stretched out in the wire grass surround
ing the sand, with its head toward the
squirrel. On seeing the judge, it threw
itself into a coil and made a 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 inccnsed
h II 4 l,f.fn nd OIL
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.
Apparently aware that there was no
dangerous weapon within reach, it ran
straight for the Judge, as though it meant
to close with him. 1t finally became SO
active that Connor 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 charmer on
salt water prairie mile from any tree.
More singular still, these large rattlers
have been seen swimming in salt water
DIR. 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 live-oak
met a 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
az last disabled drifted away with the
current, and was finally swallowed by
shark
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
their cuds. When the serpent
takes the teat in its mouth, the COW stops
chewing, and becomes as still as death.
Thus she remains until the scaly thief is
She seems to know that the
least motion woeld be fatal. One snake
has been known to milk two cows sue
cessively.
In the fall, when palmetto berries are
ripe, the RATHER crawls to the top of the
full-booted tree, and hides beneath its
dark green faSs. The berries attract the
grosbeaks, bullfinches, mocking
birds and parroquets, and they fall under
the internal magnetism of the snake.
The rattlesnake when trodden on does
not invariably bite a person. Bethune,
an old Indian river mail carrier, while
deer hunting last summer stepped square
on arattler He felt it yield and move
under his feet, and then heard its ominOus
He jumped nearly ten feet,
and turned as white as a sheet. but he
says that the snake made no effort to bite
him.
A more remarkable story is that told
the wife of judge Conner
She is deaf. and this intensifies y natural
Tread of rattlesnakes as she cannot hear
heir notes of warning. Some time ago
her husband and a neighbor were doctor
ing a sick colt.
She was standing in the path, holding |
some camphor and bottle Of liniment |
She felt something cold and scaly coiling |
around her leg. Drawing aside her /
iress and looking down, she saw a rattle I
snake gazing steadily in her face, slip
pirg out its red tongue, and waving its I
head to and fro as high as her hand. I
The blood rolled away from her heart. /
She screamed, and jumped aside 50 spas
medically that the snake lost its hold +
md was left on the ground 1t is posi- I
Die tina. the serpent was trying to fasci /
nate her; but her deafness barred out it, /
ow musical sound. AS the judge and /
his neighbOr ran up the path, she stood
rembling with terror, on the point Of a
amt