Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-08-30
VOL. 24-NO. 40.


Let us observe what happens when
the rattlesnake means mischief. He
throws himself into a spiral, and
about one-third Of his length, carry
ing the head, rises from the coil and
stands upwright. The attitude is fine
and warlike, and artists who attempt
TO portray il always fail. He does
not pursue-he waits. Little animals
he scorns unless he is hungry, so that
the mouse or toad he leaves for days
unnoticed in his cage. Larger or
noisy creatures alarm him. Then his
head and neck are thrown far back,
his mouth is opened very wide, the
fang held firmly erect, and with an
abrupt swifftness, for which his ordi-
nary motions prepare one but little,
he strikes once and is back on guard
again, vigilant and brave. The blow
is stab and is given by throwing
the head forward, while the half coils
below il are straigtened out TO length
EN- the neck and give power TO the
motions which drive the fangs into
opponents flesh. AS they enter the
temporal muscle closes the lower jaw
on the part struck and thus forces
the sharp fang deeper in. lt is n
thrust aided by bite. At this mo-
ment the poison duct is opened 10y the
relaxation OF the muscle which sur
rounds il and the same muscle which
shuts the jaw squeezes the gland and
drives its venom through the duet
and hollow fang into the bitten part
In so complicated a series OF act
there is often failure. The tooth
strikes on tough skin and doubles
back or fails TO enter or, the serpent
misjudges distance and falls short
and may squirt the venom 4 or o feet
in the air, doing no harm. l had "a
curious experience of this kind, IN
which a snake s feet @ inches long
threw a teaspoonful or more of poison
athwart my forehead. Ii missed my
eyes by an inch or two. i have had
many near escapes, but this was
the grimmest OF ALL An inch lower
would have cost me my sight and
probably my life. A snake will turn
and strike from any posture, but the
coil is the attitude always assumed
when possible. The coil acts as an
anchor and enables the animal To
shake its fangs loose from the wound.
A snake can rarely strike beyond
half its length. II both fangs enter
the hurt is doubly dangerous, because
the dose OF venom il doubled. AT
times fang Is left in the flesh, but
this does not trouble the serpents
powers as n poisoner, since number
less fangs lie ready to become firmly
fixed in its place, and both fangs are
never lost together. The nervous
mechanism which controls the act OF
striking seems To be In the spina!
cord, for il we cut OF n snakes head
and then pinch it's tail the stump OF
the neck returns aud with some ac-
curacy hits the hand Of the expert.
menter-if he has the nerve TO hold
on. Few men have. have not. A
little Irshman who took care OF my
labratory astonished me by cooly sus-
tanning his test. He did IL by closing
his eyes and so shutting out for mo-
ment the too suggestive view OF the
returning stump. Snakes have always
seemed to me averse TO striking, and
they have been OH the whole much
maligned. Any cool, quiet person,
moving slowly and steadily, may pick
up and handle gently most vencmous
serpents. fancy, however, that the
vipers and the copperheads are un-
certain pets. Mr.. Thompson, the
snake keeper mt the Philadelphia roo
logical handles his serpeDts with i'm
punity, but one day, having dropped
some little moccasins few days old
down his sleeve while he carried their
mamma In his hand, one Of the babies
bit him and made an ugly wound.
At present the snake staff Is used to
handle snakes. / saw one in October
in Tangiers what had long desired
to observe-a snake charmer. Most
OF his snakes were harmless, but he
refused, with well-acted horror, TO
permit me to take hold OF them. He
had also two large brown vipers
These he handled with care, but
saw at once that they were kept ex-
hausted Of their venom by having
been daily teased into biting on N
bundle OF rags tied TO stick. They
were too tired TO be dangerous.
have often seen snakes In this state.
After three or four fruitless acts OF in
stinctive use Of their venom they give
give up aud seem TO become iDdiff.r-
ent to approaches and even to rough
handling,