The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-06-15

found near it, If the body of the dead rep
tile is dragged through the house Or across
cattle pen, its mate is pretty sure to take up
the trail and follow it. Through the |
winter these snakes are dormant. They live |
in holes made by the gopher and the land |
turtle, and are concealed in many of the old |
coquina ruins dotting the eastern coast. As
the summer approaches, they pair off and |
hunt in couples. The numberless trails in |
the scrub and savannas made by deer, coons |
wildcats and otters are their favorte lurking |
places. Here they lie in ambush, and many |
an unfortunate rabbit and opossum falls un-
der their fangs.
Nor are the low savannas and saltwater |
marshes free from these 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. To use his own words, "the
squirrel was jumping around right smart,
and appeared as if he didn't know what to
do with himself" Its attention was not dis
tracted by the Judges approach, for it con-
! tinued prancing over the sand in q concentrie
course, as though crazed. The Judge walked
up with the intention Of capturing it Sud-
denly he was confronted by an enormous
rattlcsnake. 1t was stretched out in the
wire grass surrounding 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 buzz saw. Its tail
ratified with terrible earnestness The squir-
rel ceased his antics, and sat up on the sand
as mOtionless as a statue. Finding neither
stick nor stone on the prairie, the Judge tried
to scare the snake by threatening gest-
uros These incensed the reptile. 1t reared
both crest and tail, dartcd out its forked
tongue, and jumped fully eight feet toward
the Judge. His Honor then get angry and
threw clods Of earth and grass. At this the
serpent flew into an ungovernable rage. Its
eyes fairly 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 be-
came so active that Connor was glad to
leave it. As he walked away it resumed its
position, and the squirrel began his dance of
death, charmed by its buzzing music The
Judge says that the snake was certainly nine
feet long. The mystery is, how came the
squirrel and its charmer on a saltwater
prairie Il mile from any tree.
More singular still these large ratters
= have been seen swimming in the 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, Capt. Neil of New BediorC
one of Swiits live-oak superintendents me
o a monster near Mosquito Inlet, going ou
. with the tide The snake espied Neils boa
q and made desperate effort to board her
The Captain beat it off with the oars, hu
o the fight lasted two or three minutes, Th
20 serpent at last disabled, drifted away witt
= the current, and was finally swallowed by
shark.
d The larger rattlers are said to follow hero
If Of cattle. Cow boys say that they smell tn
: milk dropping from the udders of the cows
e and take up the trail with view to mikin!
them. This is done while the COWS are ly
70 ing on the ground chewing their cuds. Whel
,e the serpent takes the teat in its mouth, tn
m COW stops chewing, and becomes as still q
if death. Thus she remains until the seal.
70 thief is satisfied. She seems to know tha
If the least motion would be fatal. One snak
n has been known to milk two COWS successive
,e ly.
le In the fall, when palmetto berries are ripe
le the ratler crawls to the top of the full-boote
to tree, and hides beneath its dark green fans
ii The berries attract the cardinal grosbcak,
It, bulfnches, mocking birds, and parroquet'
p- and they fall under the internal magnetisr
Of the snake.
ID The rattlesnake when trodden on does nc
invariably bite a person. Rethune, an ol
l. Indian river mail carrier, while deer hunt
r. ing last summer stepped square on rattle
2, lie felt it yield and move under his feet, an
I'd then heard its ominous humming lie jump
I'd ed nearly ten feet, and turned as white as
is sheet, but he says that the snake made n
a. effort to bite him.
he A more remarkable story is that told cor
1t cerning the wife of Judge Connor. She
or deaf and this intensifes a natural dread {
de rattlesnakes, As she cannot hear their note
lg of warning. Some time ago her husban
ne and neighbor' were doctoring a sick col
ed She was standing in the path, holding son
nd camphor and bottle of liniment. She fe
es something cold and scaly coiling around Ii
X, leg. Drawing aside her dress and lookir
'ot down, she saw a rattlesnake gazing steadi
ms in .er face, slipping out its red tongue, an
on waving its head to and fro as high as h
nat hand The blood rolled away from h
zee heart. She screamed and jumped aside
he spasmodcally that the snake lost its no
sh and was left on the ground 1t is possib
1c' that the serpant was trying to fascinate he
but her deafness barred out its low music
ng sound. As the Judge and his neighbor r.
up the path, she stood trembling with terr
nd on the point of faint,
elI' shes bit ~ said the neighbor in a L
to tone.
=, HE didn't bite me-" she retorted, witho
~ however, hearing what he had said
" "Shes bit - the neghbor repeated, "b
- she was so skeert she didn't feel it,"
H. care you sure he didn't bite you, Mary
Vs., M asked the Judge.
nr "No, he didn't bite me" she replied,
ca know he didn't"
aid And she was right. She pleaded for
life of the snake because it had spared h
us but the Judge, to use his own expressi,
ant 'mopped hell out of it,"
ley The enemies ofthe rattlesnake include
as hog, the deer and the eagle The hog thru
'all his fat chops into the snakes face NEE