Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-04-21
WHAT a SNAKES CHARM Is.
An Explanation of the Phenomena Hitler
to Cnnsidered as ..Magnetic.,,

An Explanation of the Phenomena Hitler
to Considered Magnetic"
Some twenty years ago the naturalist
Brehm procured couple of able-bOdied
rattlesnabes 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-
oneFs 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 a 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 waterpot near the centerpof
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 lightward
direction seemed too much to mind such
inferior incidents as the maneuvers of q
crawling object on the floor. The font
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 futtering bird gave her a chance to
bring, matters to a crisis
mo need of charming in this case"
thought the professor when the stricken
blackbird. recoiled with a frightened
squeak. But there was still need of
patience. For nearly minute the
doomed bird futtered about in an aim
less way before the chemicals began, to
operate in, earnest and he fell over on
his sideowith 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
An anatomical examination of a rat
tlesnake or copperhead would explain
that sequence of events. The fangs of
by flexible Egament and are not
strong enough to hold a 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
rattlesnake will kill a squirrel In five
minutes, a paisano or roadrunner- In
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 mex hfizne, how
ever a semi-scientific witness of the
tragedy may come along and ascribe the
possibility of the finale to the strange
glittering of the serpent's eyes which
all along have followed the Inove,eHts
Of her quarry
Prof Rrehm repeated ks experiment
with sParrows. gophers, commna rats
Weasels, quails, woodpecizers and
meadow larls. and always with an
analogous result, except in the case OF
woadpecker that made its way to the
top OF the window and died out OF reach
of the serpent In every other case tbs
victim at first made its escape, but wa.
captured In articulo norris after be
traying its waning strength by all sort
of curious symptoms ETen the wease
gave up its attempt at retaliation afte
| a short struggle, and in its last moment
staggered out Of its hiding place an