The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1892-10-01
THE SNAKES CHARM.

Naturalist Brehm's Interesting Expert
ments With . Couple Of RAttlers.
Some twenty years ago the naturalist
Brehm procured couple of able bodied
rattlesnakes and turned them loose in
a well-lighted garnet, where he could
observe all their movements without
betraying his presence. At first his pris-
oners stuck to their lair in the recess of
an open box, but on the morning of the
third day they began to show symptoms
of appetite and the professor treated
them to breakfast Of live blackbirds.
About five minutes after the appear
ance of the newcomers one of the
snakes left her headquarters and
crawled across to the corner next to the
front window, while her mate took
post behind waterproof near the center
of the room. The birds were too busy
to notice them at all There were three
windows in the garnet. and in spite o.
constant collisions the temptation n
regard the attempt at escape in light
ward direction seemed too much r.
maneuvers of crawling object on the
floor. The front window with its large
panes seemed to prove specially at
tractive, and the ambushed snake ha6
Just contracted her coils for the third
time when the descent of q futtering
bird gave her chance to bring matters
to a crisis.
mo need of charming in this case, /"
thought the professor when the stricken
blackbird recoiled with frightened
squawk But there was still need Of
patience. For nearly minute tho
doomed bird futtered about in an aim
less way before the chemicals began to
operate in earnest, and he fell over on
his side with half-opened wings
He was too far gone even to keep on
his legs, and only then the snake
crawled up to take possession Of her
prey, though she had all along watched
her victim with glittering eyes.
The anatomical examination of rat
tlesnake or copperhead would explain
that sequence of events. The fangs of
q poisonous serpent are attached only
by flexible ligament and are not
strong enough to hold a struggling ami
NAL, though they are extremely we'll
adapted for administering a snap bite.
Now, the effect of the virus, even on
very small crea lures, is not absolutely
instantaneous The bite of our west
ern rattlesnake will kill squirrel in
five minutes, paisano or roadrunner
in three or four minutes, but even q
mouse or young quail has time to run
q few steps toward its hiding place and
apparently out of reach of the coiling
snake. There is no direct pursuit.
The snake can afford to wait, well
knowing that the delirium of the poison
fever will drive the dying mouse out OF
his hole and the bird out of its retreat
in the tangled briars. In the mean
time, however, q semi-scientific witness
of the tragedy may come along and
ascribe the possibility of the finale 10
the strange glittering of the serpent's
eyes, which all along have followed the
movements of her quarry.
Prof. Brehm repeated this experiment
with sparrows, gophers, common rats,
weasles, quails, woodpeckers and mead
ow larks, and always with an analo-
gous result, except in the case of a
woodpecker that made its way to the
top of the window and died out of reach
of the serpent In every other case the
victim at first made its escape, but was
captured in articulo mortis, sitter be-
traying its waning strength by all sorts
Of curious symptoms. Even the weasel
gave up its attempt at retaliation after
. short struggle, and in its last mo-
ments staggered out of its hiding place
and finally directly towards the
approaching enemy. San Francisco
-A.-"So you have been elected .
member of the Mediterranean Life-Sav-
ing Co." B.-sUuite So" A.-s.Bui
you can't even SWIM B.-"Makes nc
difference. am only the president. -