Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-02-15

!
Affirmative. but There Are NaturaiIsts
Who Say No-Ciaim That the Snakes
Victims Are Self HypnotIzed.
A gopher snake at Escondido has been
the cause of much earnest discussion
among local uaturalists. Tho question
discussed was. do Snakes Charm or
Hypnotize Their Prey" One Of the
naturalists had the unusual but fortunate
experience at Escondido of happening
upon "a large gopher snake just as the
reptile was about to overcome trem-
bling cottontail rabbit and envelop the
animal i'll its deadly coils. For some
time the naturalist watched the snakes
movements.
II was within 10 or l2 inches Of the
apparently fascinated rabbit Silently
and almost imperceptibly the snake had
wormed its way nearer and nearer To its
victim. Its eyes glistened with an in
tense brightness Not movement did
il make which might alarm the timid
rabbit. The forked tongue, which TO
the eye of a human being is so repulsive
and intended to be terrifying, appeared
to exert an entirely different influence
upon the mind of the innocent rabbit
This darting tongue either excited
the victims curiosity OF caused the ami
NAL TO so concentrate its mind on the
snakes tongue as TO throw that mind
into hypnotic condition of such
strength that it could not break the
spell and run away from impending
death. The furked tongue darted out of
the snakes mouth almost as regularly
and rapidly as the needle of sewing
machine rises and falls in the cloth The
1.-the body crept nearer and nearer Tire
rabbit was moiionless. Its eye was fixed
on the piercing eye of the snake Even
the waving If the wind kissed shrubs
about the rabbit failed to break the spell,
and softly and slowly grim death in
snake form wrcathed its folds about the
creature. Then was the spell broken.
But the strong coils of the snake were
in position. Never rabbit lived that
conld break that embrace of death.
Realizing at last the terrible peril, the
terrified rabbit struggled vainly to es-
cape. and as the rings of the snake drew
closer about the frail form so tightly
that breathing became difficult the rab-
bit uttered "a desI ring cry almost hu-
man III its intenSencss and sound. 1t
was the rabbits last earthly utterance
An extra twist Of the cruel coils and
poor bunny was no more. Lungs. heart
and bones We're literally crushed The
snake did not relax the pressure for full
ly ten minutes. Unwinding itself, the
snake dragged the prey under an adj
joining bush for dinner.
To the naturalist who watched the
capture of the rabbit it appeared as if
the snake had certainly fascinated the
animal. As Il gopher snake is not poi
sonous and has no well developed fangs
its only means If killing prey is by con-
striction. In order To catch an animal
il seems almoa necessary for tho snake
to faScinate the victim.
Other naturalists claim that snakes do
not possess the power OF fascinating Ell
ther birds or animals One man who has
given the matter much study remarked
that mo error is apparently more rooted
i'll the humal mind than that which at
| tributes 10 snakes this peculiar power of
fascination" By this power they arc
said TO be able SO to paralyze their vic.
tins that the birds or animals are rem
dered utterly incapable of movement and
wait for the attack Of snake or even go
forward 10 meet it in fear and trembling,
but withou: any power of retaliation.
Now. any ono who watches the be-
havior CT small animals placed alive as
food in the cages i'll which snakes are
kept i'll captivity in the hope Of seeing
this marvellous power in operation will
be grievously disappointed. Chickens,
rats. guinea pigs, rabbits, all move
about with TN utter absence Of fear of
the snakes. Ny belief is that it is posi-
bio 10 account for the popular belief that
snakes possess II power TO fascinato for
several reasons. An observer may come
ON the scene and find number of birds
mobbing snake jast as they will mob
an owl OF a buzzard. The dashes Of the
bird toward the snake and their fiutter-
ing round it may easily be put down to
the effect OF The snakes glance. while
they are i'll reality merely attempts of
the birds 10 drive Off the intruder. A
mother bird whose young are attacked
will almost certainly behave in this way
and may herself fall victim, not to the
power Of fascination i'll the snake. but
10 the force Of her maternal feelings
1t may he tho mobbing of the snake
by the companions Of u victim that has
been seized or of mother whose nest
has heen robbed; it may be simply the
effect of poison already injected before
the observer has come upon the scene,
or il may be simple curiosity. In ninety
nine cases ont Of hundred one or the
other of those causes has been ut work.
What, then. of the hundredth case, and
what about the fascination exercised on
man. eases OF which have undoubtedly
been recorded? The explanation lies in
the probability that it is case of self
hypnutism.
Ii Is an error to suppose that will
power has anything to do with the ef-
feet. The matter has been taken up sci
entiiically h- the medical profession and
ii has been found that the hypnotic
state cf sleep or trance or whatever it
may be termed. can be- produced by
looking .:..ily 1T tho operator or at n
coin or at the tip Of ones own nose. 1t
Is not necessary To 20 into the question
of how the result is brought about. but
there is "a physiological explanation.
What happens then III the hundredth
case is that the man or the animal may
he self hyrnotized by gazing fixedly at
the snake. tho subject being thus thrown
into sort "f trance. making no attempt
tu move Gu cf danger unless reused by
some exterior Influence San Diego Cor.
Chicago Times Herald
The general" Of cur army has NO
duties prescribed.
Complained TO the Wrong Man.
The mendicant stood before the way
1aveT with outsireiched hand
Please, sir, he said. Il have seen
heuer days
Veil. that's no affair Of mine, " said
tie wnyfarer. Make your kick to the
weather ran if you don't like this kind
Of "a day. chicago Post.
The empress of Russia owns an cr-
mine rIantle which is valued ut $50
200. II is a present fion. her subjects
living in the province of khcrson.