The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-19
SNAKE pEsTRoYRRs.


Hogs attack, kill and eat snakes with
perfect impunity. Other animals are natu-
raj enemies of the reptile, but the Ameri-
can eagle is known to be the most savage
and fearless foe of the deadly rattlesnake.
Besides preying upon birds and small AMI
mails, the eagle has a relish for ssrpents and
also gathers them in as food for its young. On
one occasion while party of gunners were
out on the mountains of Center county they
espied an eagle several hundred fee IN the
ar, slowly winging its way toward dis
tant pine forest. When directly over them
the men fired several shots at the bird and
were greatly surprised to see it drop what
they supposed TO be a large eel. Going to
the spot where it fell, the men were startled
at the sight Of full grown rattlesnake
almost lifeless, but still squirting among
the fera shrub4 The snake was badly
torn by the eagles talons, aud having been
severely shaker up by the fall, it was easily
dispatched with club. At another time
near the head Of Trout run, in the same
county, an eagle was seen to rise from the
summit of a high rock. Suddenly the bird
began to fiutter one of its wings aud fell to
the ground below the ROCKS, making a
rapid descent of alb ut 100 feet. Three or
four coal prospectors who had witnessed
the singular affair ran to the scene and
found the eagle aud rattlesnake locked in
deadly embrace. The RATHER had thrown
vigorous coil around one of the birds
wings, and down the contestants came to-
gether, more dead than alive. One day
near the middle of last August log cutter
living not far from Houtzdale heard ter
r1ble racket among his chickens while in
camp enjoying his noon repast. Getting
up hurriedly from his rough board table he
went out to an old log stable from whence
the noise proceeded, aud was astonished to
find that an old hen in defending her little
ha6 raiOk of
feet rattlesnake. The other chickens took
no part in the fight, except an old rooster
that had cautiously enough tackled" a baby
rattlesnake, and. holding it up In his beak,
was making a big display before his admir-
ing lady friends
NATURAL HISTORY OF THE KATTLERS.
The rattlesnake belongs to the genius
crotalus which is sub-divided, making sew
eral family distinctions without any mate
rial difference, except in size and color.
Those inhabiting the Allegheny mountains
are described as black and yellow, with an
occasional specimen of the brown, making
three family or tribal distinctions The
fangs are seldom less than half an inch in
length-sometimes three-fourths. They are
curved similar to cats claw and sharp as
the finest needle. Not infrequently there
are nine on either side, but they are usually
in pairs These dangerous weapons are
strong muscles. When not in use they are
drawn back in close proximity to the poi
son glands, the virus from which is pressed
through the fangs, which are hollow al
most to the point. All rattlesnakes are
spotted or rather variegated il color, which
produces notified, finely blended and
beautiful velvety appearance. In the man
yiviparous. In the fall, like other snakes.
the RATHER seeks a homo among the rocks
and remains torpid until spring.
SOMETHING SCIENCE HAS NOT SOLVED.
AS to the genesis of the rattlesnake,
science has hitherto failed to evolve a clear
and reliable system or exegesis on the sub
Ject OF reptilian evolution. 1t is generally
conceded by scientists that all birds, large
and small, represent a link in the chain
OF natural evolution, extending back to the
order reptilia. In other words, the crane,
for instance, is merely serpent that has
been improved by the development of
wings, legs and feathers. This theory was
adopted by the late Richard A. Proctor,
but neither he nor Darwin, not even Huxley,
ever gave the world a complete system
explaining the origin of reptiles, which por-
ton of the animal kingdom is loosely as
signed to the Devonian period. The rattle
snake could not have reached its present
state of development later than the carbon
| ferrous era, and the later formations being
| absent in Pennsylvania. 1t is uncertain
| yet whether reptiles were originally para
sites, that chung to nobler and higher orders
| of being, or whether they had legitimate
| origin, one that can be traced back along
the chain of evolutionary being to the first
| germs of life in the earlier ages. Flying
serpents" are heard of away back. Those
accounts may be mythical, and yet not
altogether myths. Science confirms what
! mythology owes to tradition. SO far as
known the only fossil rattlesnake ever dis
covered in Pennsylvania was in the Mahon-
| ing sandrocks over the coal measures, in
Center county. The form was perfect, even
to the shape Of the rattles