The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-10-10
chambers Journal

How Rattle Snake was Mastered.
Having brought home many scoaes, perhsps
hundreds, of live snakes in the course OF my
voyages, have at different times published
ths results of my experience in that line, in the
hope of inducing others to do the same. In
the study of ophiology, living specimens are
desideratum, since, after death and in spirits,
snakes alter so much as to be scarcely recog-
nizable, Especially when injured, as they usual
ly are. Nothing is more easily or safely kept
during voyage than a snake, If attention be
paid to one or two small details. 1t is more
easily kept than bird, as it requires neither
food, water, light, nor abundent ventilation;
and beyond warmth, needs scarcely more care
than dead one in bottle; but suppose it is
because these small details are so little known
that we get so few rare snakes at the Zoo. In
my papers, have endeyored to point out not
only all that is necessary for their well-being
In their transmission, but alse the dangers
connected with them to be avoided on board
ship. Nevertheless, an incident happened to
one Of mine some time ago, the possibility of
which had never entered my head. / say to
zone of mlne;" but in reality the reptile, a
fine full-grown rattlesnaBe, did not belong to
me, but to brother officer who had brought
it for presentation to the Geological Garden at
Hamburg, on the strength of my promise to
look after 1t for him. 1t was brought on
board in a small square box-a Schiedam-case,
in fact-neatly tied up in brown paper, at
my suggestion, and labelled Feather Flow
ers," for the benefit Of inquisitive passengers.
This box was fronted with galvanized wire
netting of small mesh, which must have been
nd has IN a he Ta IN
there was no door. All was perfectly secure:
SO, as had numerous serpent tenantry at
tho time in my own specially constructed cases
decided to let my ledger remain where it
was, more especially as | judged from its
plump appearance, that it had lately fed, and
would require no more nourishment till it got
home. ct is worthy of remark that, as a rule,
snakes feed, or require to be fed, only at long
intervals; rattlesnake has been known to live
year and eleven months without food)
Imagine my surprise when, on going to my
cabin about week later, met little rattle-
SNAKE six or seven inches long, climbing over
the combing of the doorway There was no
doubt about it, CTotnlatS borrideGs was written
in every scale of his wicked little head and
diamond-pattened back, and signed by the
horn at the end of his tail, which went culver
ing upward as soon as he saw mo. 1t was not
time to stand on ceremony, so stood on him
instead. Inside the cabin was another, wrig-
Cling along the floor, on whom also executed
a pas seal without further inquiry; and, on
turning round, sure enough there was third
on the washing-stand, sticking up his head
and tail with the most menacing intentions.
There was no longer any doubt that an inter-
ssting event had happened, a fact which was
evidenced by the spectacle of the box swarm
ing with writhing little corkscrews, one of
which was in the very act of escaping through
the wire. snatchedBup towel and pressed
it over the case; and while my boy nailed it
on, and thus blinded the trent, despatched
the two strays.
Now came the question what was to be done?
ne? The inmates were saenoHgh for the time;
but it obviously would not DO to trust to a thin
towel as the only dividing medium between
them and the ship at large, for the rest of the
voyage. had to be cautious then not being
in possession Of the means which place me
now to great extent beyond the pale of dan
ger, and allow me to handle these things with
comparative impunity; but / was none the
less anxious to save the brood A woman hap
PLY extrieated me from my dilemma-the old
stewardess, who was quite in my confidence,
since she didn't mind them things" and who
used to allay any anxiety on the subject among
lady passengers with, I fear, a greater regard
for me than for the truth. She gave me an old
stocking. and this is what we did with it.
First, we removed all the nails from one
corbsr at the back of the box for
about two inches along the two sides of
the angle, and fixed screw instead at the ex-
saw-out of my case of surgical Instruments
we cut through the wood for two inches each
way, so as to complete the square, then nailed
the mouth of the stocking over it, and finally
removed the screw with small screw-driver
through q small slit in the stocking itaelf. The
piece Of WOOD, 1.-TWO inches square, thus severed
all connection, and the screw dropped down in
to the foot, and by dint of shaking and knock
ing the little reptiles we're induced to follow.
When good many were in, the stocking was
tied with cord tightly near the heel, and again
about an inch higher, and the lower part was
cut off between the two ligatures. This was
emptied of its contents into glass box that
stood ready for their reception, while the rest
of the babies were shaken down into the leg of
the stocking, which gtillremained a cuL de sac.
The only hitch in the proceedings was a mo-
mentsry though rather serious one, caused by
mamma protruding her head and evincing
disposition to folio Y her offspring. When all
the little ones-there were thirteen of them,
exclusive of those had killed--were out OF
the box, the bag was again tied twice and di.
vided, and they were restored to the society OF
their brothers and sisters.
But stop bit! The resources of cur very
subtle continuance were not yet exhausted.
About a foot length of that most useful stock
ing was still left, and this was tied once more,
but this time close up to the box; then the
and fastened up again, then, the upper liga-
ture being removed, the rats were shaken into
the cage, and the maternal rattlesnake was
for the loss of her promising young
family by good dinner, Finally the stocking
or what was left of it, was pushed into the boz,
and the square piece of wood was nailed Sc
curely on again over it, But there was pleas
ing uncertainty for the remainder of the voy-
age as to how many had got adrift before l dis
covered them and where they had bestowed
which rendered going to bed, put
ting on ones boots, and the like, full of inter-
est. When the importation of rattlesnakes be-
comes recognized branch of industry, shall
take out patent for that stocking dodge.