The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-16
THE LAND OF THE sERpENT.

Nature Is dangerous here; the powers that
build here are also tho powers that putrefyi
here life and death are perpetually interchang-
ing office in the neyerceasing transformation Of
forces, melting down and reshaping living sub
stance simultaneously within the same awful
crucible. There are trees dstling venom
there are plants that have fangs; there are per-
fumes that affect the brain; there are cold
green creepers whose touch consumes flesh
Ike fire; while in all the recesses and the
shadows is a swarming of unfamiliar life, beau
tiful or hideous--insect, reptile, brd-inter-
waring, deyouring, observing, pfeying.
Strange spiders Of burning colors, immense
lizards, scaribs curassed in all tints of metal.
humming- birds plumaged mall thesplendor Of
jewel radiance. flies that flash like fire. cent?
pedes of gigantic growth; and the lord OF all
these-the despot of these vast domains--ist the
terrible fer-de-lance, the trgonocephalus, tho
Bothrops lanceoatus, the cfaspodecephallis,
deadliest of occidental thanatophidia.
There are eight varieties OF him, tho most
common being the gray specified with black.
precisely the color that enables the monster to
hide himself among the roots Oh. the trees by
simply coiling about them md concealing his
triangular head. Sometimes no is q beautiful
flower yellow; tten he may never be dstin-
guished from tho bunch Of bright bananas
Among witch he hangs c@iAd or he nayshan
dark saluw, or i zellowish brown, BE- tho color
Of wine lees speclSlea with lisk and black on
q pesfeet ael tint ceshaek wSta gellcW holly
/ -sSsl lises u sfSsis i9t l,tyt 0td Sai n, .f
: putrDlylng trees, OF forest UeLtltu3. Inc lf1@
OF the eye is orange, with red flashes; at night
ii glows like incandescent charcoal,
And tho fer-dc-lance reigns absolute king
over the mountains and the rayines no Is lord
of the forests and the 5olitudes by day, and by
night he extends his dominion over the public
roads, the familiar paths, the parks, the pleas
ure resorts. People must remain at home af-
ter dark unless they dwell in the city itself. IL
you happened to be out visitingg after SUNSET
only mile from town, your friends will eau
ton you anxiously not to follow the boulevard
as you 80 back and to keep as closely as possi-
bic to the centre OF the path. Even in the
brightest noon you cannot venture to enter the
woods unescorted you cannot trust your eyea
to detect danger. At any moment a seeming
branch, knot OF lianas, pink or gray root,
cump Of pendant yellow fruit may suddenly
take life, writhe, SWELL stretch, spring, strike.
Then you viii need aid indeed, and most
quickly, for within the space Of few heart
beats the stricken flesh chills, tumeAes softens,
changes color, spots violaeeousy and an ICY
GOODNESS crawls through all the blood. II the
physician or the pauser arrives In time, and no
artery or vain has been directly pierced, there
Is hope; but the danger Ii not passed when the
life las been saved. Necrosis Of tho tissues
begins the flesh corrupts, tattcrs. tunbles
from the bone, and the coara Of its petielac-
tion arc frightful mockeries OF the hues OF veg
etable death, OF forest decomposition, the
CHASTITY pinks and grays and yollows OF rotting
trunks and roots melting back into tho thick
fetid clay that gave them birth. You nloldeR
as inc trees U1OiGefj you cfulUDio anu uiSbOlNo
as dissolyes the substance of tho balatas and
the palms and the aeomats-the Death of-the-
Woods has seized upon you
And this pestilence that walketh IN dark
moss, this destruction that wasteth at monday,
may not be exercised. Each female produces
Iyiparously from forty to sixty young at q
birth. The haunts Of the creature are In many
cases inaccessible, inexplorablo; its multiple
cation is prodigious; 1t Is only tho surplus Of
its swarming that oyerpours into the canefielda
and makes the high roads perilous after sun
set yet to destroy 800 or 400 thanatophidia on
a single small plantation during the lapse OF
twelve months has not been uncommon. The
introduction OF the mangouste (the ichneu-
NOM may, 1t Is hoped, do much toward pro-
tectng the workers In the caneteds 0nd on the
cocoa and coffee plantations; but tho man
gouste's powers are limited and the ocean OF
death is illimitable.
The experience Of fear hasenabled domestic
animals TO discern The presence Of the enemy
while invisible to man. Your horse rears and
plunges in the darkness, trembes, and sweats.
Do not try to ride ON until you are assured the
way Is clear. Your animal has perceived far
ahead two scintiilating ponts-two moving
sparks Of Ere. Or your dog maycome running
back, whining, shiYering. Accept ms warming.
The animals kept about country residences
have learned to fight for thor lives, the hen
battles hopelessy for her chickens, the bull
tries 10 gore his supple enemy, tho pig givea
more successful combat; but the creature who
fears the monster least is the brave cat.
1eelflR Slitht bic III OnGO hlttCuH
to a place of safety, then bodily advances to
the encounter. She will walk to the very lin
IL Of tho serpents striking range and begin to
feint. teasing him. trying 10 draw his blow.
How the emerald and the topazine eyes glow
then--they ara flames. A moment more and
the triangular head, kissing from the coil.
flashes swift as ii moved by wings. But swiiter
still the strong stroke Of the armed paw that
smites the horror aside, Ainging II, nnngled
aud gasping IN tho dnst. EethereSs pussy
does not yet dare to spring. The enemy. stii1
active, has almost instantly reformed his COLI
but she is again in front Of him, Watching
vertical pupil against vertical pupil.
Again tho lashing stroke; again tho beauti-
full countering; the Icing dcath Is hurled i
aside tlio scaled skin Is deeply torn, one eye- .
socket has ceased TO flame. Onco moro tho !
stroke OF the serpent; onco more the light. 4
quick cutting blow. But now the trigonoce,~
phalus Is blind, Is stupetfed; before he eau Az
tempt 10 coil pussy las leaped upon him, nall,
ing the horrible fsS-head fast TO the ground
with her two sin9Fy paws. Now let him lash,
wfithe, twine, syriye to stranRle ler--in Yaint
no will never ldt his head an instant mora
and he lies stall the fine white teeth OF the
cat havo severed the yertebra JUST behind the
triangulez skull,