The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-06-23
WHAT A SNAKES CHARM is.

An Explanation Of the Phenomena Hfther-
to Considered Ms sMagnetic."
Some twenty years ago the naturalist
Brehm procured a couple of able-bodied
rattlesnakes and turned them loose in a
well-lighted garnet, where he could OBJ
serve all their movements without be-
traying 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 the headquarters and
crawled across to the corner next to the
front window, while her mate took post
behind a waterproof near the center of
the room. The birds were too busy to
notice them at all. There were three win
dows in the garnet, and in spite of con-
slant collisions the temptation to regard
the attempt at escape in a lightward
direction seemed too much to mind such
inferior incidents as the maneuvers of a
crawling object on the floor. The front
window with its large panes seemed to
prove specially attractive, and the. am
pushed snake had just contracted her
coils for the third time when the descent
of a fluttering bird gave her chance to
bring matters to crisis
mo need of charming in this case, :"
thought the professor when the stricken
blackbird recoiled with frightened
squeak. But there was still need of
patience. For nearly a minute the
doomed bird fiuttered 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.
IAN anatomical examination of rat
tlesnake or copperhead would explain
that sequence of events. The fangs OF
a poisonous serpent are attached only
by flexible ligament and are not
strong enough to hold struggling ami
NAL, though they are extremely well
adapted for administering a snap-bite.
Now, the effect OF the virus even on
very small creatures is not absolutely
instantaneous. The bite of our western
rattlesnalxe will kill squirrel in five
minutes, a paisano or roadrunner in
three or four minutes, but even mouse
or a young quail has time to run few
steps toward its hiding place and appar-
emily out of reach of the coiled 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 meantime, how
ever, semi-scientific witness of the
tragedy may come along and ascribc the
possibility Of the finale to the strange
glittering Of the serpent's, eyes which
all along have followed the movenHtl
of her quarry. s'lf
Prof. Brehm repeated his experiment,
with sparrows, gophers, common rats
weasels, quails, woodpeckers and
meadow larlxs, and always with an
analogous result, except ia the case o.
y woodpecke, that made its way to thu
top Of the window and died out Of reach
of the serpent. In every other case ths
victim at first made its escape, but wa,
captured in articulo mortis, after be
traying its waning strength by all sort,
of curious symptoms Even the wease
gave up its attempt ut retaliation aftel
short struggle, and in its last moments
staggered out Of its hiding place ans
Il.