The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-09-08
aid Mr.. CHS, CHAT can not swallow ,

sparrow, and the big one, 'Barnum,'
can get away with big dock rat very
easily. You have no idea of the expan-
| sion the mouth of q snake is capable of
undergoing. They are small, as you
see, and their necks are very slim, but
| by their constructions and convolutions
they can force down morsel that is
twice their own bulk. Like all other
snakes, they must kill their own food.
They will not touch an animal that is
not given them alive, and would starve
to death sooner than eat butchers meat.
That Is great mistake the natural his
tories make when they say that the SER
pent salivates his prey before eating it.
Not even the constructor (who can eat
Sheep does that, He coils himself
around his victim after having struck
him and brushes him into such shape
that he can gradually swallow him. 1
will let you see 'Barnum' swallow
sparrow"
The little bird was introduced into
the cage aud instantly seized by the
snake. His struggles We're very brief,
for in an instant coil was thrown
around him and he was crushed tc
death. Then "Barnumn Unanswered
around the cage for q minute or so, still
keeping the coil tightly pressed around
the bird, forcing the wings closely 10
its side, and was ready for his feast.
Selling the sparrow by the head Ok was
dead now and released from the coiD
the snake began series of convulsive
motions, and in about half minute the
bird, that visibly distended the snakes
neck, was out of sight. Talking of rat
tlesnakes after the exhibition, Mr.. ellis
said that showmen were often bitten by
them, owing to ignorance OF their ma
ture. "When rattlesnake first comes
into a show he said ''his fangs arc
pulled out, and most showmen think
that after that there can be no danger
in handling him, That is a mistake.
The fangs will grow again unless they
are cut out at the roots, and / have
known of cases where u rattlesnake bit
and poisoned his handler less than
4 three weeks after his fangs had been
pulled. The rattlesnake's fangs bend
inward, and are sharper than fine
needle at the end. When the showmen
want to destroy them they raise the rage
of the snake by Haunting silk hand
kerchief in front of him. In his unreas-
oning rage he seizes the handkerchief,
and clever jerk pulls out his fangs.
Jack Draper, who was with Gardeners
Circus ten or twelve years ago, got
badly bitten by snake whose fangs had
been recently pulled out. He drank
nine full glasses of whisky at once and
went to sleep, and as soon as he woke
up he drank six more. He saws the
whisky did not intoxicate him, and that
he had a dull numbpess of the arm and
| n oronara1 foa1innr ,,f, 1trr;, a
siness that frightened him. Thanks to
the whisky, he recovered in two or
three days.
1.-The rattles on snake are not sure
indication of his age, as the naturalists
tell us. They say he gets rattle every
year. Now, have had snakes that
grew three rattles in year, and some
that did not have one in less than year
and half. Florida rattlesnakes often
get two rattles a year. think they
make more rattles when they are well
fed and are in warm place. Rattle
snakes in captivity are not as voracious
as other snakes. Fifteen mice will feed
good-sized snake for month, but if
you tempt him he will eat double that
number. In his natural state he lives
on his fat in the winter, and in captiv-
ity a snake has been known to live more
than q year without food. Fangless
snakes can not kill their game, and l
have put them in cage with snake
with fangs, and have seen the latter
strike their game for them. If l had
killed the mouse or rat nothing would
have prevailed upon the snake to
eat it.
''Did you ever know that rattlesnakes
commit suicide? Well, they do When
we catch them we use a crotched stick,
and aim to fit the crotch Just back of
the head. Sometimes we get it too far
back, and that gives the snake chance
to bite himself When he sees he has
no chance of escape he bites himself,
and in half an hour he is dead. If he
gets bitten in a fight with another snake
he glides off at full speed to marsh,
where he can get rattlesnake-weed,
sure anJidote. The toad knows of this
remedy, also, and often uses it after be-
ing bitten. We are apt to despise these
lowly reptiles, but they have good pluck,
and often foil the rattlesnake.
"Are rattlesnakes good to eatp Well,
their flesh tastes like sucking pig and is
perfectly transparent. never make a
practice of eating it, but have tasted
it fried, and have no hesitation in say
ing that it was delicious. PhiladeE-
phtG Times.