The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-08
RATTLEsNAKE RECEPTION.
Two Fine Specimens for German
University.
From he Harf ford TImes

From the Hartford Times
Something new in the way of receptions
IS being held for few days in the parlors
of the Rev. S. NJ. Stiles residence, No. al
Washington street Last summer a para
graph was printed in the Times to the
effect that Mrs. Stiles would be pleased to
receive specimens Of the rattlesnake for
shipment TO Germany, where her son,
Charles W. Sti les, is pursuing course of
studies in the sciences. A few responses
were received, and one specimen was for
warded to Leipsic, where it was highly
priced on account of the extreme rarity
of such a variety of the serpent family in
foreign laboratories. Yesterday two fine
specimens, mates, a male and female, were
received from John II. Sage, the we'll
known ornithologist of Portland, this state,
who had secured them from their captor. n
professional rattlesnake hunter, somewhat
locally famed in that vicinity. Both snakes
are IN perfect condition, having been
caught with forked stick which held them
securely by the neck to the ground until
dead. They are tightly sealed in large
glass jar filed with alcohol. and were thus
presented by Mr.. Sage to Mrs. Stiles for her
son. The male lacks but little of being
four feet in length-being 44$4 inches; and
he has five rattles. The female is nearly as
long, and she also has five rattles That
they were mates is shown by the fact that
after one was caught, the other appeared,
having f allowed the trail, and was also kill
ed. This trait of the snake kiagdom has
been demonstrated on many occasions. 1t
is said-but it seems tough story-that a
snake has been known to follow its mate
even when the latter was carried in a
wagon distance of fifty miles. This SER
pent trait, which seems to be most strongly
marked 10 the venomous Species is made
the means for the most startling and terri
BILE part of one of Eugene Sues most
powerful omauces-"Atar-Gul." ro-
nance of one of the French West India
isles; the snake, in that story, being evil
IDENTIFY fer de lance, which the cunning
but veugeful negro knows will follow the
trail of its beheaded mate, even into the
bedroom of the young lady betrothed to
his young master.
The two specimens of the rattlesnake
tribe on exhibition in Mrs. Stiles parlor
for few days are strikingly marked in the
diamond pattern. Crhe variety is the
CrotolGs horridus, though we believe the
CrotGtlss durisSuS is also common species
of rattlesnake in the neighborhood of Port
land, as elsewhere between the Carolinas
and Mount Tom.) The corn-yellow,
merciless eye and diamond-shaped flet
head, speak only of malice-a malice which
is backed by the power of dealing death;
and death in swift and horrible form.
1Heoe specimens Will De FORWARDED TO Lelp-
sic, Germany, by the United States
Express. One of the specimens will
go to member of the royal family of Aus
tria, scientist who has been working with
Mr.. Stiles in the laboratory at Leipslc. The
other will be used for scientific purposes in
the Leipsic University.
Young Mr.. Stiles is a graduate of the
high school. After a year and quarter at
Wesleyan University, he went abroad four
years ago. He first took one semester at
the Paris University the four semesters at
the Berlin University, and is now conclud-
ing his third semester at Leipsic,, where he
will take his degree in July. He will then
take post graduate semester at the Marine
Geological University at Naples, and one
semester under Pasteur at Paris, when he
will return home next summer