The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-09
n FEAR OF SNAKES.
Why MANY CHILDREN and Some Grown Pes
.y..s .>ielike Them

why Many CHILDREN and some Grown Per.
eu..s .,islike Them
There are many authenticated III
stances of children becoming attached &c
snakes and making pets of them. The
solution of a question OF this kind i
sometimes to be found in the child mind.
My experience is that when young chill.
dren see this creature its strange ap
pearance and manner OF progression, 5.
unlike those of other animals known tc
them. affect them with amazelnent anG
a sense of mystery and that they fear il
just rs they would fear any other strange
thing, Monkeys are doubtless affected
in much the same way, although in a
state of nature, where they inhabit for
ests Astounding with the larger construct.
ors and non tree snakes. it is high
~ probable that they also possess a ira.
dltional fear of the serpent form. Il
would be strange if they did not.
The experiment of presenting a Gagged
monkey with a serpent carefully wrapped
up in a newspaper and watching his be
havior when he gravely opens the par.
eel, expecting to fire nothing more
wonderful than the familiar sponge
cake or s%ucculent banana-well. such
an experiment has been recorded IL
half "A hundred important scientific
works. and out of respect to ones mis-
tiers one ought to endeavor not to smile
when reading it. a third view might
be taken which would account for CT.
feeling toward the serpent without ii
ther instinct or trad ton. Extreme fear
of all ophidians mig It simply result from
a vague knowledge of the fact that SOM
kinds are ~venoElors: that, in some rart
cases, death follows swiftly on thei,
bite. and that, not being sufficiently il
telligent to distinguish the noxious frou
the innocuous-at all events while Ill
der the domination of a sudden, violent
e~motion-we destroy them all alike
thus adopting Herod's rough and ready
method of Riding his city of one incon
venient babe by a YOeral 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 tt
feared; tl-.lt Fontana's 5000 experiments
with the viper. showing how small is thu
amount Of venom possessed by this sre.
cies. how rarely it has the power to 10
stroy human life. have been before t.,r
world for a century, And although j.
must be admitted tiat FoHtan4's Z:
is not in the hand q c}"gy lr. s"lt. -
fact remain that death frrla en.l." , a
is a rare tlin@ ii Europe. i~alasblz las
nrIe than one losing IL r. tr4s1 to
cause for every 2-t wsaa i="t. - a.,
-f,.l-- g .#f +=e,.. .E -. s, 4 nae. p
terrible. Yet Will, ..- sight # Il -. q
ezeites III a majority II persons tie 81.
violent emotions. dos are EHlTeis.I
Worries. and we have Them Always WI
us and make pets Of them in spit Of III
knowledge that they may at any tjsss
become rabia and infict that u,ssI.aat
bly, dreadful suffering and dest.I.ef -
on ~.
This leads to the following guesti "
Is il hot at least probable that our -
cessiye feai OF the serpent. SO unworthy
of rs rs rational beings, and the cause Of
so much unnecessary cruelty, is paftlp
at all events, a resultof our superstitious
fear Of sudden death: For there exists.
we know, an exceedingly widespread de-
fusion that tha bite of a yenoInous ser
pent must ri and kill quickly Com
pared with such ophidian monarchs as
tie bushmaster. fer de lance. hamadry-
ad and tic peionga. the viper Of Europe
the poor viper Of many experiments
and much mot too readable1 literature
may be regarded as almost harinless-at
all event not more harmful than the
hornet. Nevertheless. in this cold. north
- I-nrlH as-4,. as ia tho atlnr -
where nature celebrates more potent
juices. the delusion prevails and may be
taken into account here. although it,
origin cannot now be discussed. For INV
own part | am inclined to believe that
We regard serpents witha destructive
hatred purely and simply because we are
SO taught from childhood
Magazine.