The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-11-07
Was il Animal Magnetism i!

had at one time fine flock OF white
turkeys, which were always shy, though
much petted by the family because of
their great beauty. There was cover.
ed gallery between the dining-room and
kitchen, with broad folding-doors at
each end, in which we were in the habit
| of sitting to read, sew, as women will,
and where was a cradle for the baby.
Our turkeys would sometimes stalk
rapidly through this gallery as sort
of short cut on their way to the poultry
yard.
One day 1 was sitting here, the baby
in the cradle asleep, when in strutted q
tall n-turkey, and instead OF hurrying
| through as was the habit, she stopped in
front of the cradle, stretched out her
long neck and began sort of cultural
| Cry, and stood motionless. Presently
another and another entered, and were
each transfxed in the same way. l
arose and approached them, but not one
stirred aside, as was their habit when
any one came near them. I noticed
their eyes all had a strained, unnatural
look, their wings dropped, as if relaxed |;
they all kept their necks craned out in q
stiff, constrained manner.
At first I thought of the sleeping
child, but they were used to it and never
took notice OF its presence. Looking in
the direction of their eyes 1 beheld q
large snake of the adder kind, with it's
body partially coiled, head erect, and
tongue oscillating, while to me its color,
ordinarily of a dirty black, with orange
rosettes, seemed remarkably brilliant.
The creature was in high excitement of
some kind.
No sooner did I move the cradle than
its whole aspect changed, and it was
common, sluggish adder which skunk
aside to escape. ~ e turkeys all jump
delight, and ran or rather flew out Of the
place.
Now, leaving all but the first turkey
out of the question, what was it that
arrested her 1t is possible that all but
the first were actuated by imitation when
they first paused on their way; but the
whole eight or ten turkeys fell at once
into semicircle around the reptile, and
the action of all was precisely alike, and
like the first.
Was it terror that caused them to
halt? Did the reptile magnetic the
first one, and was it case of fascina.
tion? Are fascination and magnetism
identical, and are they paralysis of the
nervous system, for the time being,
from whatever cause? A remarkable
degree of mental action, imagination,
and observation were evolved in this
case.
have before me natural drum, the
withered vertebra of rattlesnake,
which was killed by neighbor of mine,
woman of some skill in handling a
rife, which may further illustrate the
subject. Her house was built on the
side of hill, making it one story in the
rear and two in the front, where was an
open area, free for the poultry of the
farmhouse, and covered with low grass,
plantain, etc.. "a sunny spot, sheltered
from the cold of the north winds, by a
woody hill, whose trees quite embower-
ed the cottage.
One day she was attracted to the win
dow by low plant from her poultry,
which seemed to be all hurrying in one
direction. Looking down she saw them
ranging in semi.circle, with all their
heads bent in one direction. There
we're at least twenty or thirty silly crea.
lures all looking the same way, and in
tent upon the same object. Leaning
from the window, she beheld a mon
strous rattlesnake coiled in q pile, with
tail vibrating in soft, gentle motion,
which just stirred the music of the rat
ties, and the head keeping time; tongue
red and quivering, and the motion of
the neck swaying from side to side,
sweeping in the whole array of stupefed
chickendom.
Watching all this some time, with no
change on the part of snake or poultry,
she went to the back of the house, took
down her husbands rife, and fired at
the head of the creature. killing him at
once. The spell was broken, and the
poultry sprang away with the same
ridiculous kind of jump and fly 1 had
observed in my turkeys, as if relieved
from a spell.
Now, what brought all these hens and
chickens to range themselves in this
dangerous companionship around this
uncannie monster? Was it sympathy
Was it imitation? Was the magnetism
extended to distance in its action
Why should the snake so long continue
his insidious movement? It was evi.
IDENTIFY not hunger that actuated him, or
he would have seized his prey and made
his exit. Did he enjoy his awe-struck
auditory, and was he fond of the dis
play of his power.-Eliza6eM Oakes
Smith.