Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-08-26
RArrEnsnAxBs.


the sections OF country where they
abound, and especially TO summer visitors
from cities. They are very numerous
within $50 miles of New York. The
Highlands on both sides Of the Hudson,
and particularly on the west, arc alive
with them. The river hills Of Delaware
and ita afiiuents produce them by thou.
aand4
Toward the close Of summer, whom the
cold nights give notice Of coming frosts,
the rattlemakes return 10 their favorite
dens in the monntains Snakes Of other
kinds find winter refuge in the same
place, and all spend the bitter months in |
a torpid state. Behind the village of |
Long Eddy, about LAG miles from New |
York, ON the Eria railroad, is rocky |
hill in which there are said 10 be fully 20 |
rattlesnalxe deus. There are simply holes |
in the rocks, or spaces between the shelv-
ing strata on the mountain side. John
q. Geer, the king of the rattlesnakes,
drew no less than Ia at one time from
under the rock. Tying q string to the
end OF pole about five feet long, and
fixing loop at the end Of the string, he
slips the moose over the head OF the rat
thing, striking snake, draws II out of its
cover, and drops IL into the bag that he
has pinned to his knee.
The early settlers in rattlesnake dis
tricts used to slaughter the reptiles az
regularly as they slaughtered their hogs.
In this way the numbers Of the snakes
and the danger from their bites were
largely diminished. In the warm days
Of spring, az they crept out to sun them.
selves, they were destroyed by hundreds.
Sixty years ago II was a fayorite amuse-
ment Of the young men and boys in
Orange county, New York, to shoot the
rattlesnakes and their congeners as they
peeped out of their den in the mountain
near Canterbury. Oatlin, the historian
of the Indians, who was born near Wilkes
barre, Penn sylvania, hugely enjoyed this
sport In boyhood. Not far from his home
was rattlesnake den in an unapproaoh-
able cavern on the mountain. On ledge
of rocks near the cavern the noxious
creatures used to sun themselves for q
few hours every day before breaking up
their winter rendezvous So many
injuries had been inflicted by them
that the farmers resolved to decrease
their multitude. George Catlin was
admitted into the warlike party, and
instructed to climb to the top Of an over
hanging roek, from which he could watch
the serpents on the Ledge below. The
rest OF the invaders, club in hand, stood
ready to follow his lead. As the lad looked
down he saw q knot of snakes "like Q
huge mat, wound and twisted and inter
locked together, with all their heads like
scores of hydras standing up from the
mass.n Into this horrible cluster he ''lei
fly" with his gun. The others then rushed
in with their clubs, and 500 or 600 were
killed. One had turned in the wrong di.
rection, and was heard rafting near the
ledge. In little while its head wa
pinned to the earth with o forked stick
'rrie O powder-horn to his tailln ex
claimed Catlin, sand fasten slow fuss
TO Il, and let il go back into the den.
This done, the snake was put down ut tn
mouth Of the den, and the party removes
to safe distance. In minute or two o.
explosion like clap of thunder shook tn
ground. The result was determination
the snakes.
In Trumbull county, Ohio, Mr.. Ston
one of the first settlers, immortalized hin
self as Tattlesnake slayer. On the |
Of May, 1893, he and his companion
armed with cudgels, proceeded TO q SUM
level of rock on which hosts of the re
tiles had orawled. There the cudge
were Brought into active play; the snake
with sounding tails reiterated up the hi
but 1856 were left dead on the groun
Most of them were over five feet
length. Perhaps, like the Indians, me
of them will ultimately disappear. Sti
they are wonderfully prolific. pair
them, bringing forth from 10 TO 90 a,
birth, each cooled up, with a rattle to
tail, and ready to spring, would soon /
stock the country. Mr.. Geer finds !
difficulty in filling an order for so or II
for any museum on the continent.
The peculiar noise Of the rattlesnakt
eaatanets il not easily described. Il CO
not ALWAYS be distinguished. bv those \
familiar with it, from the whistlinR
winds through the leaves, the escape
water from g pipe, the whi@4.44ss "
sects, the rafting of seed-pods, and otl
familiar noises. II is easily mistaken
the stridulous sounds made by inse
like grasshoppers. Birds feed on 1
latter, and seem to imagine as they fly
the spot from which the noise comes Il
they shall dine comfortably. But Crota
caudisona makes delicious meal
them. He rings his dinner bell to call
his living dishes.
Frogs, birds, rats, rabbits, and SIN
animals of many kinds are the food
rattlesnakes. One of them is as good
weasel for clearing the cellar Of ri
and mice. None of their victims seem
be afraid of them. The fear is apparent
with the snake, which shrinks from
wounded prey, and will not attempt
swallow il until it is dead Many stori
are current about the fascination of biz
and small animals by these reptiles. L
truth seems to be that when one of the
hau nd n ylTT AoIr 4 a i'll "A L
found on the ground the distress
parents will utter loud cries, and ev
dash at the jaws of the deyourer, in no
Of effecting rescue. Again, the birt
attracted by its familiar rattle, will ri
at its thin, slender, vibrating tongue
they would at worm. But the pecki
ia fatal experiment. Struck by I
deadly fangs, the poor things hop.abc
in agony until they die The tong
itself is TO the snake what whiskers are
GATOR the tips of the fingers to a hum
being. How snakes manage to swall
animals thicker than themselves is a m
terry explained by their special structu
The soft ends of their numerous ribs r
on ventral scales, which, on a smoC
surface are almost set on edge. The be
scales are the feet, and the ribs are LEI
But these accommodating legs stretch Ii
lndia-rubber, so as to admit the passt
OF the enormous meal. The six Jaws of [
snake are separable, and work indep
IDENTIFY OF each other; but 80 vast are
mouthfuls that II would choke il il ,
not have the power of hanging two
three inches, more or less, of windp
outside the mouth while it Is swallowil
One oommendRble thing about rat,
snakes is their affection for each oil
and for their young. Tho latter, o
given signal, seek and find refuge throI
the throat of the parent. Professor
b. Goode, Of Middletown, ConnectiC
received 40 independent testimonials
single year, from persons living in
different States, that they do thus har
their progeny
line bite of the rattlesnnlxe is V
serious matter aud often proves fatal.
Is inflicted by the curved fnnps on q
side OF the upper jaw. These are poin
rs needles, hollow, aud fixed upon s
which contain bright green den
poison. The latter is forced through
fang into the wound. Iarkin X. Gee
Long Eddy bad fortunate escape fl
snake whose fanRs caught IN
trousers above the bare foot Starting
the run, he shook the reptile loose
found his foot all spattered blythe ven
Ralph Geer, another member of the 81
tanlily,,was not quite 30 lucky. Piei
IN the ankle while following the step
hunter on the top of log ho bee
very sick al the stomach, was Violei
Ill, and only escaped with the los
the sole Of his foot. His u,
John o. Geer, the rattlesI
king, attributes his migfortrne IN