The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-09
A MASTER OF SNAKES.
How a Natura list Controls. Tames and
Studies Them.

How Natura list Controls, Tames ana
Studies Them.
A Boston paper prints a very inter-
esting article about DR.. Garman. a
naturalist. who has devoted many
years of study to serpents of various
kinds. 1t says:
He is on Intimate terms with all the
snakes, handles them without fear.
keeps them about his laboratory, In
cages, however, for purposes Of study,
and has discovered no end of curious
things about them. all of which are
faithfully stored in great volumes of
publications, where the public has
hardly a chance to get at them.
A rattlesnake. a native of Missouri,
has boarded with him for upwards of
two years. 1t is brightly marked
beast, more wildly painted than our
native rattlers of Blue Hill or Mount
Tom. 1t is large and well filled out,
and has a keen eve for the stranger.
whose approach to his cage seldom
fails to call forth a shrill alarm. 1t is
active, but naturally is somewhat
cramped in its comparatively small
quarters. 1t has made a few excur-
sions, however. One a while ago to
meeting Of the Boston Scientific socie-
ty, where he was let loose to crawl
about the floor. to show his curious
oblique method Of progression. DIR.
Garman does not like. however, to
take him into strange places, since
rat hole might afford him a safe re-
treat, and the chance of recovery in
good condition would be very slight.
This beast seems to know his captor
and makes no effort to strike him with
his fangs, allowing himself to be ham
died with what seems like carelessness,
but which is the skill born of long
experience.
This Missouri specimen has yielded
to science a number of interesting
facts. He has been in his cage so long
that Ii has been possible to follow
step by step a number Of his changes.
1t Is known positively that he loses
his skin twice a year and that he adds
a rattle for every skin. Instead of
losing the rattles as he does his skin,
they are retained by the closing of
the inner end of the old rattle over
the knob OF the new one. and accidents
excepted. the snake bears with him
this record of his age. But accidents
will happen. Through friction, or for
some other reason. the horn which
forms the rattle may become thin, and
in such case, the catching of the rattle
in some obstruction would tear II
away. In this very snake some holes
have now appeared near the base or
the first loose rattle. and were the ami
NAL free in the woods, there is but
little doubt that ne might soon become
a snake with only single rattle on
his tail.
AS to snake bites. DIR. Garman is in
position to speak authoritatively. He
has had a great deal of experience, and
has been bitten by all sorts Of snakes.
Most of them leave simply two little
holes not more troublesome than the
bite of a cat. The rattlesnake bite is
quite different. and requires immediate
attention. The part bitten is relieved
of the poison as much as possible by
sucking. while the member is construct
ed by an impromptu tourniquet, which
permits the poison-bearing blood to
reach the heart in mere driblets. And
nature does the rest. There is posi-
bilMy that IL the tooth should pene-
trate one of the larger blood vessels.
this treatment or any other might not
be successful. but the chances are in
its favor.