The herald., 1893-06-04

There is little, brown and very COM
ical owl who likewise takes up residence
with the prairie dog, but he makes g
show at least of earning his rent by re-
naming at the entrance and acting as
janitor, politely bowing to everybody
who passes. Neither snake, dog or owl
seem to mind the others presence, but
are exceedingly soeiable. The Strange
companionship 10 explained thus: The
prairie dogs burrow is the only shelter
afforded the snake from the intense
heat OF thoee arid plains; and as the
dog always sinks well On his premises,
it Is the snakes only means of getting
water, and it has been demon
strated that rattle SNAKES speed
lily perish without it. In return
for this hospitality the rattle snake,
who is disciple OF Malthus, takes
charge Of the census, and thoughtfully
prevents the prairie dog from accumu.
lating larger family than he can con-
veniently support.
The horned rattlesnake ia endowed
with the power Of moving backward, for
ward or sidewise with equal facility, and
he can enter his hole tail first if it suits
him.
The rattlesnake's sole means of offense
and defense is his pair of fangs. which
are two slender, needle-like teeth, jut-
ting from the upper jaw just under the
eye. In structure they resemble the
point OF a hypodermic syringe, but are
not quite as useful. A small channel
perforates the tooth, conducting the
venom from the gland and sac in which
it is engendered, to within about the
tenth OF an inch from the point. The
point is OF pure enamel, is hard, and
OF proverbial sharpness. When the
snake is feeling pleasantly, the two fangs
lie fist against the roof OF his mouth but
when he opens his countenance for
business they are erected by set OF
muscles provided them and stand at
right angles by the jaw. Thus in posi-
tion, the snake drives them homa by
darting his head forward, and by pow.
erful compression OF the temporal mus
cles the venom is injected deeply into
the wounds. In rattlesDakes of ordinary
size, 3la to feet, the fangs are about
three-fourths of an inch in length.
The venom is thin, clear fluid, re-
sembling serum, of a slightly blush
cast in some specimens and yellowieh in
others. 1t 10 believed that when adj
mitted to the circulation rattlesnake
virus parslyzes the heart.
The question so often asked ss to an
infallible antidote for rattlegnake poi
son, can only answer by saying that in
several cases have seen used what
appeared to be certain antidote.
While travelling through the southern
portion of Florida | saw negro who
had been bitten place freshly cut
onion, saturated in whisky, upon the
wound. His life was saved. He was
bitten by very large specimen of the
diamond rattlesnake. have seen tur-
pentine taken in large doses internally,
and also rubbed upon the wound as an
antidote. This was used extensively,
as was also the whisky and onion cure, by
the workmen engaged in the construc-
tion OF the transcontinental railroads,
whore they met these venemous reptiles
in almost every mile OF track laid
through the western country. A fresh
,ly killed fowl split in the middle and
then laid against the wound, made
larger by knife, has been known to
act as an antidote, the new flesh OF the
fowl acting as an absorbent. Ammonia
in conjunction with q liberal use of AL