The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-07-21
RattlesnakeS i'm Florida.

= \ 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 In
dian River, he saw plump gray squirrel
cutting queer antics on a spot of bare
sand. AS the sand was fully a 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
about right smart, and appeared as if
he didn't know what to do with hisself. :"
Its attention was not distracted 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 captur-
ing it. Suddenly he was confronted by
an enormous rattlesnake. 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 coil and made q noise like
that of buzz-saw. Its tail ratified
with terrible earntstness. The squirrel
ceased his antics and sat up on the sand
as motionless as statue Finding nei-
ther stick nor stone on the prairie, the
Judge tried to scare the snake by threat
ening gestures. These incensed the rep
tile. 1t reared both crest and tail, dart
ed out 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 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 became so active
that Conner was glad to leave it. As
he walked away it resumed its position,
and the squirrel began its dance of
death, charmed by its buzzIng music.
The Judge says that the snake was Ger.
tainly nine feet long. The mystery is,
How came the squirrel and its charmer
on saltwater prairie mile from any
tree?
More singular still, these huge rattlers
have been seen swimming IN the salt
water. DR.. Wallace, of Daytona, in
forms me that he has seen them appar-
emily crossing from the beach to the
main land at Castle Windy Three
years ago Capt. Neil, of New Bedford,
met monster near Mosquito Inlet, 90
ing out with the tide The snake espied
Neil's boat and made a desperate effort
to board her The Captain beat it off
with the oars, but the fight lasted two or
three minutes, The serpent, at last dis
abled, drifted away with the current and
was finally swallowed by a 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
satisfied. She seems to know that the
least motion would be fatal. One snake
has been known to milk two cows sue.
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 fans. The berries attract the