The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-08
TIE -F:R OF SNAKES.
yvhx MANY children and some Grown Fer
eons Dislike Them

cons Dislike Them
There are man authenticated III
stances of children becoming attached tc
snakes and making pets OF them. Inc
solution of a question Of this KIND l.
sometimes TO be found in the child mini.
Nv experience is that when young chill.
dren see this creature its strange ap
pearance and manner Of progression. $.
unlike those of other animals known &c
them. affect them with amaZement anG
a sense of mystery and that they fear II
Just as they would fear any other strange
thing. Monkeys are doubtless affected
in much the same way, although III o
state of nature, where they inhabit for
ests Astounding with the larger construct
ors and venomous tree snakes. it is high
" probable that they also possess a ira
dltional fear Of the serpent form. j
would be strange if they did not.
The experiment Of presenting a cageo
monkey with a serpent carefully wrapped
M in a newspaper and watching his DO
havior when he gravely opens the par
eel, expecting to fire nothing more
wonderful than the familiar sponge
cake or succulent banana-well, suci
an experiment has been recorded II
half a hundred imrortant scientific
works. and out of respect 10 ones mas
ters one ought to end .avor not to smllt
when reading it. i third view might
be taken which wculd account for cur
feeling toward the serpent without a
ther instinct or ira iition, Extreme feal
CT all ~ophidians might simply result iron
a vague KNOWLEDGE OF the fact that som
kinds are venoEulls: that. III some rars
cases. death follows swiftly on thei'
bite. and that, not being sufficiently IL
telligent to distinguish the noxious FROM
the i~nnocuous-at all events while mn
der the domination of a sudden, vlo!en'
smotion-we destroy them all alike
thus adopting Herod's rough and ready
method Of Kidding his city Of one incon
venient babe by a g2eral slaughter o.
innocents.
1t might be objected that in Europe
where animosity to the serpent is great
est. death from snake bite is hardly to IL
feared: tl..lt Fontana's 6.0GU EXPERIMENT.
with the viper. showing how small Is TN
amount of venom possessed by TINS sFe
cies. how rarely it has the power to Re
strov human life. have been before tn
world for IA century. And although !
must he admitted taat Fontana's wor'
is not III the hand Of every pa4sttlt. =.
fact remains that death fron s'4alsr s7.r
is a rare thing III Europe. ~,ti,h!y at
more than ole ln,iag lis II teoaI til
cause for every -Ju Win lsr1- = hN t.FG:
phobia. OF ali forms ~ 't-a IA ~ mo-
terrible. Yet VIII tGe sight # Il s!l;t..
excites in Il majority u persons ta" lln.
violent emotions. dogs Are universal l.
vorites. and We have them always w
Us and make pets Of them III spite OF IL
knowledge that they may at any fliAs
become rabid and infiict that nn>ittih.
biv dreadful suffering and de=trEet u
on lis.
This leads to the following quest -
Is it not at least probable that oar ~
cessive fear of the serpent, SO unworth
of Us as rational beings. and the cause {
so much unnecessary cruelty. Is partl
at all events, a result of our superstition
fear of sudden death? For there exist
we know. an exceedingly widespread d.
fusion that tho bite of a venomons Sc
pent must Fli and kill quickly. Con
pared with such ephidian monarchs /
the bushinaster. fer he lance. hainadr..
ad and tic poionga. the viper OF Enrol
the poor viper of many experiment
and much mot too readable1 literature
NAV he regarded a. almost harmless;
all events not more harmful than Il
hornet. Nevertheless. in this cold, mort
ern world. ever as in the other worl'
where nature Celebrates more potter
Juices. the delusion prevails and may
taken into account here, although !
origin cannot now be discussed. For II
own part | am inclined to believe tn
we regard serpents witha destructi
hatred purely and simply because we a
90 taught from childbood.-Macmillar
Magazine.