The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-03
CAN THE RATTLasNAKE CHARM9
A Penrsyl vania Naturalist gives
Some Startling Incidents.


lieve rattlesnakes are able to charm birds
and animals?'' said naturalist of local rep
utatiou. THAT is a question that has been
asked from time out of mind, and answered
both negatively and afirmauvely. Judging
from my observations and experiments, L
am prepared to say positively that do De-
| DeVe the rattlesnake can charm or, mes
| merlze, or paralyze, or whatever IS
| the most correct term for the
| condition it brings upon its sub
| Jects, and that itcannot only cnarm
birds and animals, but that there Is not a
man living who can long withstand the
terrible fascination of the rattlesnakes eye
If he cares to test his ability by gazing
into the eye when the reptile is excited and
angry, using strong glass in making the
/ test. ANY person who is familiar with the
| eyes of this deadly reptile ought not to
| doubt that the serpent possesses the power
that 50 many naturallsts deny. Even the
| eye OF a dead rRttlesnake, no ma tier now
| long the snake may have been dead, has a
| terrible malignant expression, and one that
| will make the most Indifferent observer
| turn cold When the reptile Is alive and
Qulvering with excitement, his brilliant
length coiled like painted spiral, the HAT,
vicious head raised and curved above the
folds, and the far sounding rattle vibrating
| az rapidly as a humming birds wing, there
is nothing in all nature so dreadful in its
appearance as the eye that Cutters and
gIares above all this deadly beauty, and l
am satisfied that it is not only enough to
strike birds and animals, but men, with lr-
reSistlble, horrible nightmare, from which
they are unable TO arouse themselves until
some disturbing force breaks the malignant
spell. | would ike to see the man VINO ca n
look upon the eye Of an angered rattleSnake
through strong glass, one that will draw
the reptile apparently as close as foot or
80 to the observer, and retain his gaze
more than minute without feeling him
self lrresistibly fascinated by the terror OF
it, an indescribabe Discrimination TO with
draw his gaze in spite Of the feeling OF hor-
ror the awful eve inspires. nave tried the
experiment a score OF times | am as strong
in nerve as the next man, and have been
used to handling and studying reptiles OF
all kinds all my life, but | have never yet
been able to overcome the influence of the
rattleSuakes eve.
II have seen many instances of this inttu-
ence on birds and animals. l remember
once l was fishing in toe Juniata river and
my attention was attracted by the strange
action Of a robin that tiuttered and poised
over a spot near the top of q stone wall,
which protected the towpath OF the canal
that runs parallel fith the river for some
miles. | approached the spot cautiously
until got within feet OF the bird, which
paid no attention whatever to my presence,
but continued to frsntically hutter within
2 feet of the wall. CHANGING up discovered
the cause of the birds strange actions.
Coiled in hole thar had been made by tAe
falling out of a gOod-sizei stone from near
the top Of the crude masonry, and directly
opposite the frantic robin, lay rattlesnake,
his deadly head uprals d, his eyes glaring,
and his red tongue darling in and cut Of his
mouth like little jets of flame. The robin
was uumistakaby under the influence of tue
rattlesnake's mesineric eye. 1t made fire.
quent efforts 10 fiy away up and down the
stream, but it never got more than feet
either way. The snake turned its head
whichever way the poor bird moved, and
held it powerless with its awful gaze. AL
though | drew up SO close that l could have
touched the snake, it apparently dill not no
tice me, SO absorbed was it in fascinating
the robin. | watched the proceeding for a
minute, and then drew my revolver and
shot the snakes head off. The robin hut-
tered few seconds longer, and then flew
in zed way and al ghted on toe wall
not more than feet below where / stood.
1t remained there for at least minute,
with Its wings raised al inch or 50, as you
have seen birds on hot summer days. Then
it seemed to recover itself and flew away.
There conld be no installing the fact that
this was a genuine case Of rattlesnake
charming.
Another time / was walking through
! the woods when | saw chipmunk sitting
on low stump, every muscle drawn to its
utmost tension, and the little animal gsz-
ing steadily ahead, its eyes fixed and star
ing. | walked on. The chipmunk did not
| move. | followed its staring gaze, and saw
a rattiesnaks. cooled as they always coil,
and It's eyes ghttering like little Goals OF
! fire. | had my gun, and quickly put an end
TO the serpents further mesmeric exercise.
ctr Of no XEnS M
the chipmunk fell from the stump dead at
the report OF the gun. | thought that some
stray shot might have struck IL, although
| such a thing was highly improbable. | ex-
| amined the little animal thoroughly. There
was not mark upon it. So strongly was
the squirrel under the influence Of the snake,
as ] positively believe that its very exis-
tence had become merged with that Of the
rattlesnake's When the snake was killed,
the chipmunk's life was simultaueo usly
ended
"A person cannot be a close observer of
rattlesnakes long before be will discover a
good ma Y curious things about them.
have found out that there are at least three
living things that a rattlesnaEe is in mortal
fear of, and they are bats, hogs, and deer.
| discovered the fear rattlesnake has of
bats by putting one in the cage of a very
fierce RATHER | once had. | thought he
would go crazy when the bat dropped down
by his side. He got in the farthest corner
of the cage, and cooled himself up and act
ually hid his head. The bat fitted about
in the cage, which was very roomy one,
now and then Swimming the folds of the
| snake who would only sound his rattles the
louder aud draw himself closer down in
| the corner When 1 fshcd the bat out.
the snake slowly unwouud himself and
came out OF hiding. tried the expert
| ment several times, not only on that snake
but on others, and always with the same
result.
Everybody knows how hogs that run in
the woods in localities where rnttlesnakes
are found will soon drive the reptiles out
| Of the neIghborhood. They will go into a
! den Of rattlesnakes If they can get in, and
| attack the snakes furiously, tramping them
| beneath their feet and tearing them apart
with their teeth. The bite of rattlesnake
| has no effect whatever on a hog. Deer hunt
! out rattlesnakes in the same way. cutting
them to pieces by blows from their sharp
| hoofs. Many woodsmen claim chat an APP
| parent crease in rattlesnSkes in some
| parts Of Pennsylvania is due TO the killing
| Off Of the deer or the driving of them out
| of those regions. There IS another thing
that tbs rsttlesnake fears that l forgot to
mention. and that is the black snake. The
! black snake viii squeezs the life out Of =
| ratt.er in a very short time, and no rattle
snake Will stay long where there is n black
! one. il he can get away. There is au OK
| ception, however. When il comes time for