The herald., 1893-06-04

statement about his experience with
mathematics.
There has been more fiction shan truth
written about the rattlesnake, and by
the public at large he is ss little under
stood or appreciated as are those larger
and more fanoiful pathological curiosi-
ties said TO be sometimes discovered by
conviviaI gentlemen in their boots.
He is simply known to be bold and
bad reptile, with musical tip to his
tail; ia popularity supposed to warn
thrice before striking once; and, accord
ing to paragraphs widely disseminated
by the daily press. infests remote ra-
vines and caves in miraculous numbers,
and ia there slaughtered by the natives
partly for fun and partly for his oil.
which ia said by old women and other
eminent medical authorities to possess
curative virtues In an Invaluable
degree. II is likewise asserted that
the rattle is sort OF calendar by
which the snake reckons up his age, he
promptly adding one button each new
years. day that finds him alive. In reali-
~, he grows two or three rattlers q year
ii ne wishes them. Also, it is claimed
that the only refuge for the victim of 9
rattlesnake's bite is violent state OF
intoxication. This recipe is clearly OF
homeopathic origin, for the venom OF
the real snake which did the biting must
evidently be supposed to be counter
acted by that of the imaginary serpent
which the demijohn will assist the bit
ten gentleman to discover. Whisky,
T. cd kaL
either before or after the bite.
In truth, the rattlesnake is quiet and
unobtrusive, minding his own business,
early summer he thaws himself by lib
eral exposure to the sun, and soon
shakes off the torpor OF his long sleep
and proceeds to fstten up. Later in the
season he seeks the shade, and is not
sverse, on hot days, to lying at full
length in water of pleasant temperature,
especially in pools sbounding with frogs,
where he may combine bathing with
luncheon. His rule OF diet Is simply to
eat all he can get, his favorite edibles
dexterity. .'..l ~ -
Birds which nest in trees are safe from
bis ravages, unless curiosity or accident
brings them within his reach, but those
which nest in low bushes or ON the
ground fill him with dinner and salts.
faction. II the parent bird is alert and
discovers him, the rattlesnake COM
psnsates himself by cheerfully devour-
Ing the eggs or the brood. Generally
the mother that ia. or is to be, resents
what she justly considers an imperti-
nent intrusion, and once within striking
distance is added to the bill of fare. All
L -. A.. L. L..k II
ell will foolishly undertake to fight him,
and this is the foundation OF the absurd
theory that the rattlesnake "chsrms"
his prey. A snake has no more power
to charm bird than q rabbit has to
play the fiddle. / have been witness
of encounters between snakes and birds,
and each time have been convinced that
the bird was endeRvoring to frighten the
snake from her nest, or to punish him
for his larceny.
We all know that birds are not cow
ards. have frequently seen two or
three small birds attack hawk and
make his life burden to him. An
English sparrow will cheerfully under
take to thrash a bird four time his
weight, and even the mild-mannered
dove will fight the intruder who enters
her cote, be he cat or man. A birds
confidence OF fight makes her rash in
regard to snakes. She sees rattlesnake
near her nest, and at first takes wing !;
but on observing the lethergic quality OF
her opponent, proceeds to sit on con-
venient twig and scold. Meanwhile
the snake has lazily invaded the
nest. Having exhausted all the profan-
ity she knows, and emboldened by the
snakes sluggishnees, the bird comes
nearer, wings outstretched and CULVER
ing, feathers ruffied and beak
open - all symptoms OF anger, not
fear. The snake slowly gathers for
spring, and remains per-
fectly still. Each moment OF his inac.
tion serves to make the bird more ag-
greseive, and tempts her nearer. At
last the dead-line 10 reached, there is q
lightning-like strengthening OF the hide.
GUS folds, and the poor little misguided
warrior feels the stab OF those dreadful
needles whose touch is death. II she
had as much horse sense as pluck In her
pretty pate, she would have taken the
matter philosophically and gone off and
laid more eggs, and laid them in high
tree, instead of staying for row. One
thing 10 certain-when snake captures
bird he does it less by his own prowess
than by the natural tomfoolery of the
bird, and he certainly effects nothing by
''charming."
Another picturesque error regarding
the rattlesnake Is the supposition that
when spelling for fight he coils him
self up like doughnut or a halyard on,
board OF q man-of-war. The snake Sim
ply gathers himself in irregular folds.
like series of superimposed SIS. 1t is
also alleged that he can spring to i'm
menHe distsnces-10 feet may be-and 90
attack his victim in mid-air, This
is another chestnut" for a snake
can at best strike at three-fourths
of his own length, and rarely accom-
plishes that in actual warfare. It is
also preposterous to state that rattle
snake rattles thrice before he strikes.
Let an apostle OF this creed step on an
able-bodied rattler and then argue his
theory. I have seen a rattlesnake in
July lie in the shade and rattle steadily
for an hour. He was either amusing
himself or perhaps taking music les.
son, for he did not see me and am
sure he had no intention OF biting him
salt Assin. in Texas / have known