The sun., 1892-05-22
WISE Ways OF ANIMALS.
A Pretty Good Imitation Of
Science by Muskrats.
RATTLERS HUNTING HOGS
A Runaway Cow and Dog Give Battle
to a Bear and Kill II.

Isttiesnakes IN Penasyivania Increase -
Deer Grow scarce-A straneely Pre-
served Bird Skeleton from Ceylon-Owis
that Fly IN FIocks Craig Mountain-
sport In the Miss,ssippi Bayous-start-
rns Tricks OF Birds. Insects, aud Rep
tiies-A Maa Driven Mad by serpents.
Among the odd things that have been told
80 much that everybody Is familiar with
them." said q Californian. "ts the one that the
deadly venom OF rattlesnakes has no effect on
hogs. Now I don't know whether the poison
bags OF rattlesnakes that have their habitat
In Fresno county. CAL. are filed with venom
Of greater power than the poison rattlesnakes
OF other regions has. or whether the hogs Of
other localities have weaker constitutions
than the hogs Of Fresno county have. but I
know that hogs arc just picnic for Fresno
county rattlesnakes.
Here In the East, as have read many and
many time. the favorlte amusement and
recreation Of hogs that live In commune
ties where the rattlesnake abounds Is the
hunting down and destroying of these deadly
reptiles, the hogs going In among them with
ss much nonchalance as II they were entering
corn crib. tearing the reptiles to pieces, and
devouring them oil but the heads. had an
old Pennsylvania backwoods friend once who
had to kill a valuable brood SOW OF his. because
OF her persistence in hunting and destroying
rattlesnakes to that extent thnt the locality
was In danger Of being entirely depopulated OF
the reptiles. which would have seriously al
footed the income OF my friend. as tho rattle
snakes in his bailiwick yielded him snug
sum annually from their oil and skins. He tried
to train the SOW to fetch the snakes home that
she killed. and deliver them over to him. but
she wouldn't have it that way. and so he had
to kill her to prevent snake famine.
"But It Is different out In Fresno county.
The hogs out there don't hunt rattlesnakes-
Rattlesnakes hunt the hogs. II you should
ever be In that garden spot Of occidental
climes, and should see hog tearing over the
plain like a small cyclone. its eyes hanging
out It's tail curled up like corkscrew. and its
whole bearing indicative Of an overpowering
wish to get in out Of the wet somewhere. you
need have no apprehension. Not fol. yourself:
mean You may have some Tor the hog II
yon Tan5 on ,"5 YOU w see sliding
along likea streak of creased lightning. his
head raised about six inches @ from mt. the ground.
that hog gets home with its life. for even il it
rsttIssnaKe. "a lax the the chances are that it viii lind
itself fnmbuscaded by Others II you see the hog
stop suddenly in its wild flight, and to taSk of
know. that an accom- plice Of the pursuing smoke
cape in that direction. Then II the hos. stops
suddenly agaii in the new course it was forced
to take. anil makes q break in another direc-
tion. you may safely bet that a third rattle:
snake has as much as said to the hslesguered
pork er that he can come on II he likes. but he
may not Ike It: And 50 II you see the hog try
at every one. and at last stand still and
snort and squeal and froth and trembe.
on on every side BY. .rattesnakes. and he will
BE- dead hog In jiffy. for, he will have the
fangs OF one OF the snakes In his juguIar be-
fore you Gan count s ten. and he lies down.
have heard OF band Of those bog hating
rattlesnakes Of Fresno county rounding whole
droves OF hogs and driving them up into the
hills and imprlsoning them among the rocks:
by picking their victims off at their leisure.
make them run the gauntlet Of long rows Of
snakes. and have other iendish fun with them.
The snakes don't eat the hogs. for even .
Fresno county rattlesnake has not capacity
enough to gulp down anything larger than q
rabbit They simply seem to have an a uacon; ,2i1;
them lust because they hate them"