The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-03
ANIMAL LIFE IN MINES.

White Flies and White Rattlesnakes
Are Found in Abandoned Mines.
Bangor Letter to Son Francisco Examiner.
In connection with the resumption Of
mining along the famous blue Lead" in
this section, most peculiar discovery was
made. Among the mines now being worked
is the old Potter mine, owned by Mrs. Ben
Bishop, and rechristened the Bishop mine.
W hen the Bishop mine was first reopened
one of the Will boys entered a dry slope
leading to a second shaft whose existence
was unknown, owing t. thick growth of
brush and trees about it, and had nearly
reached the shaft when he noticed q large
number OF flies buzzing about him in very
troublesome manner. He made several
slaps at them, aud accidentally caught one
On examining it by the aid of his lantern
he was nearly startled into letting it go by
the uncanny appearance of the insect. 1t
was absolutely white, with the exception of
its eyes, which, having the usual red color,
seemed unusually large aud prominent. The
red-eyed, white fly, while not being com
mon, Is not unknown in the older mines,
particularly the deep coal mines OF the east,
but this is the first time, so far as known,
that they have been found in any Calitor-
mia mine where access to light and the open
air is too easily obtainable for flies TO re-
main below long enough to fade out.
Scarcely had Mr.. Will recovered from his
surprise at the white flies when he was
startled again, this time by the whirring
sound of a rattlesnake's musical apparatus
Looking carefully around he saw the eyes of
the reptile and threw a rock at them The
rafting promptly ceased, and a mass of
white. glistening convolutions writhed into
view from behind protruding bowlder. A
couple more rocks dispatched the creature,
which proved to be a RATHER over four feet
long. One OF the rocks thrown had knocked
off a good part of his snakeship's rattles SO
his age was not to be discovered, but he must
have been an old fellow. The color of the
snake was pure white. Though a temperate
man, Mr.. Win was not fully satisfied that
he was in his ordinary condition of sanity
until he had dragged his prizes back TO the
newly opened shaft and listened to the ex-
pressions of surprise OF his companions at
the appearance OF the two captures.
Prof. Harlow Ballard OF Buffalo, who
was visiting Bangor in search of mineral
| specimens, secured the snake and several
| specimens of the white flies, which he has
preserved and shipped TO the east. The
| professor is of the opinion that the flies are
the Offspring of some imprisoned In the
slope years ago by the rising or the water
| In the lower workings The old and par.
TALLY filled shafts allowed air but no light
to enter the slope. while the stream flowing
into the slope may have provided them with
| food.
The snake, be thinks, may have been car
| ried down by the water while very young,
as IL ia scarcely possible that 1t is 80 year,
old, which it would have been had it re.
manned there ever since the main was
flooded. What the reptile ate during tts
long captivity is among the my steries
Since the reopening of the Bishop mines the
white flies have entirely disappeared, and q
few which Prof. Ballard kept in a small
glass case res Imed the colorS Of ordinary
house flies within a week after exposure tc
the light.