The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-12-17
THE CLUMSY RATTLESNAKE.
He Misses Much Oftener than He Hits
When at Work.

Rattlesnakes are more poisonous in
print than in their native wilds. The
southwestern plains abound in these
dingy reptiles, and had ample oppor-
tunity to judge of their character and
performances, both of which fall below
report. The rattlesnake has short,
flat. wide head. Besides the red and
forked tongue, of which he makes dis
play when bullied, his mouth is up
holstered with two fangs which are in
the upper jaw, and correspond in posi-
ton to the eye-teeth of mankind.
These fangs in serpent of common
size are about three-fifths of an inch
long and have slight curve like a
cimeter and hook inward. They are
white in color, of the diameter of a
needle and hollow from root to point.
Their root or seat is in a sac contain
ing the poison, which is loosened and
flows through the tube-like fang as
result of the muscular exertion of
striking. 1t does not flow, but spurts,
and two tiny jets of poison intended
for the victim distill into the air every
time the rattlesnake strikes and misses.
This last he does about four times out
of five, for his snakeship is as clumsy
and inaccurate as woman with a
rock. have seen one miss a full
grown merino sheep three times in
succession. In serpents as in alligators
the upper, not the lower, jaw is the
one that moves to open the mouth.
The fangs, working on a sort of hinge,
are closed like the blade of knife
when the mouth is closed and are pre-
sented for business by the action of
throwing back the upper jaw.
The mere fact of opening the jaw
always discloses the fangs without any
separate effort on the part of the
serpent, and when the mouth is closed
again two feshy envelopes, or scab-
bards, cover them from doing or re-
ceiving harm. This is necessary, as
a rattlesnake's poison is just as bad
medicine for himself as for any one
else.
These fangs have all the timber plia-
bility of the finest steel and can be
bent or put in any posture by little
force, but will at once spring into
shape on being relieved.
AS to the deadly character of his
reptileship l can only say that 1 have
seen numberless horses, steers and
sheep W iIiCt wo1o DittCn Uy rdGJ1eIo,
always in the nose and head, and never
one died. They were sick from day
to a month, and their heads would be-
come swollen and the candidates would
NOPE about the prairie in detected
way, but they came around all right
as finale. 1 never knew a man to
die, although have known some few
to get stung. Whisky in a copious
way as an internal and a poultice of
pounded onions and salt as an outward
application were all that was needed.
l have known some topers, who knew
there was whisky in the wagons, to go
about looking for the bite of rattle
snake as eagerly as some anglers seek
bass, just for the glorious drunk that
was sequential to it. Such persons,
however, are not common.
Some few people like snakes as pets.
They will remove rattler's fangs by
breaking them off with silk handker-
chief and so make the gentleman
harmless. To those who may here
after perform this feat as a primary
step toward becoming intimate with
the rattlesnake. I wish to say a word
of warning. These fangs are of a
similar growth to the finger nails of
humanity, and. when torn out, readily
replace themselves with a new growth.
Your pet will be ready to do business
on the old lines in six weeks after you
have pulled his teeth; so beware
Kansas Citu Star.