Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-06-25
ATTACKING a SNAKE.
How A Couple Of Rond-tunners Goaded
u Rather to Death.

- S>~s~ssSs ~sSS's>~s
How A Couple Of Rond-Rnnners Goaded
u RATHER to Death.
There ia strange bird Of the pleas
ant family, peculiar to Southern Cali
forMia, Arizona and Mexico, whose hab-
Its have long been puzzle to natural
lists, and has furnished much amusement
and interest to sportsmen in these To-
calities. The name of this bird is the
road-runner.
1t is built somewhat like an English
pheasant, being Of a dull brownish color
and having long tail feathers and short,
thick legs. 1t derives its name, no doubt,
from its ability to get lover ground at q
rapid rate, as we'll as from the fact that
1t is more frequently seen on the coun-
try roads than anywhere else. 1t is q
very wary bird and is seen but seldom.
1t rarely takes flight when approached,
but will run along the ground, with its
head down, at remarkable rate Of
speed.
This peculiar bird appears to be an
inveterate enemy Of rattlesnakes, which
abound in great numbers in the locali-
ties before mentioned. 1t is said that
the birds first kill and then eat the
snakes; but Of this latter factI am not
certain. Their methods Of killing tho
snakes are at once peculiar and inge-
NOUS, and will best be illustrated by the
following incident:
Some three years since was camp
ing on the ella river in Arizona. had
accompanied prospecting party, who
had had gone to this region in search of
silver and copper, which we're said to be
abundant in this section.
l was seated one day at noon near a
number of cactus plants, and getting
such shelter from the monday sun as a
small cluster of manzanita bushes would
afford. I had not been SO ated long
when / observed lying asleep about
twenty yards off large rattlesnake.
Selling stick, was about to make
an attack on the sleeping reptile, when
noticed a pair of large brown birds
standing under a clump of bushes, and
apparently watching the RATHER with
great interest. AS they had not seen
me resolved to keep quiet and watch
for developments. I knew the birds
were road runners, and having heard
that they never let a RATHER escape
when once they saw one was anxious
to see how it was done.
One of the birds cautiously approached
the snake as if to satisfy itself that the
reptile was really asleep The bird
walked deliberately up to small cac-
tus plant and broke off piece of the
thorny substance, which it carefully
laid down about foot away from the
snake. Piece by piece followed until
the snake was fairly walled in by cir
Gle of thorns, from which it would have
been very hard for the snake to have
escaped without serious injury.
The next movement on the part of the
birds was even more curious than be-
fore. The snake had remained asleep
all this time, but at this point one OF
tho birds, uttering sharp note, jumped
into ring, gave the reptile sharp nip
with its beak and was out again almost
before his snakeship was aware of what
had happened.
To coil itself for spring was the first
act of the serpent, and when one of the
birds approached with what appeared to
be striking distance there was sharp,
quick dart forward. AS quick as a fash
the bird was out of harms way, and
equally sudden was the movement of
the other bird, which seized the snake
from the rear before it could again as
sumo coil.
Every time the snake launched out at
the birds it was pricked by the thorns un-
til it became perfectly frantic with rage
At last, smarting under the pain in
ficted and unable to reach the birds
which kept jumping in and out of the
ring with lightning-like rapidity, the
RATHER turned and bit itself again and
again.
At this the birds seemed to suspend
operations, and very soon the body Of
the snake began to swell, its move
ments became slower and slower and
soon ceased altogether. The snake was
dead.
What might have further happened I
am unable to say, as just at this stage
of the proceedings jumped to my feet
and thereby attracted the attention
OF the birds, who scampered off and
were soon lost to sight. The snake
was large one of it's kind and had
thirteen rattles, besides the "button" at
the end. When told them in camp
what had happened was informed that
this was by no means an uncommon oc-
currence, and that after killing the
snakes the birds invariably made meal
of their victims. Y. Herald.