Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-07-16
ABOUT SNAKE CHARMING.
A Theory That the Optic Nerve Is the Pars
Affected.

a Theory That the Optic Nerve Is the Part
Affected.
Allen Chamberlain tells in Forest
and Stream about Georgia man WHO
saw a little whipsnaile coiled on some
leaves. He stopped to look at the rep.
tile, and as he did so there was rustic
of the leaves as the snake wagged its
tail. After few moments it seemed as
if little blue vapor was coming from
the snake. A suffocating sensation
seized the man. Then he suddenly real
lied that he was being charmed, but
with considerable effort he managed to
break the spell and seize the snake in
his hands and kill it. Mr.. Chamberlain
says that mo man who knew the SUB,
ject of this experience would for mo-
ment doubt its truthfulness, and yet it
must be admitted that it is well cal
culated to arouse the strangers sus-
picion."
In the issue of March %, 1878, of the
same paper writer said:
"One April morning in the woods
heard rustic in the leaves and saw |:
five or six-foot blacksnake. Two or
three inches of his tail was in rapid
vibration. / looked at it interested for
awhile, and the vibrating portions be-
gan to show all the prismatic colors
with such beauty of combination as TO
be indescribable. My eyes blurred, and
there was a pleasant sensation of dizzi-
ness. The first / knew / was falling to
the ground frightened. turned away.
My muscles and nerves were unsteady.
The snake raised at me several times.
The same summer / made experiments
on the same kind of snakes-none less
than five or six feet long"
In the October (1sSO) issue of Nature
an article on the subject of "Snake Fas.
cination" told of the action of a bird
that watched viper. T.
"At the distance Of ten yards saw
snake whose body, the head of which
was lifted from the ground about three
feet, was swaying to and fro. A plain
tive shrek attracted my attention to
a green finch in branch of a young
pine overhanging the snake; it's feath-
ers were ruffied, following with nod OF
his head on each side of the branch the
motions of the snake. He tottered.
spread out his wings, alighted on a
lower branch, and so on until the las.
branch was reached. I flung stick at
the snake, and like an arrow it disap-
peared. On approaching I saw the
green finch on the ground, agitated by
conclusive and spasmodic motions; he
ciutched my finger systematically. ITe
eagerly drank water, and after awhile
flew away. While watching the snake
I felt peculiar giddness, squeezing
hike an iron hoop pressed in my temples,
and the ground seemed to heave, quite
like seasickness. think snake fasci-
nation is the result of fatigue of the
optic nerve"
Every work of natural history deal.
ing with snakes and their ways has
reference to "snake charming" The
Smithsonian institution report for 1899
said in part: aa. gu .a .....r
"The popular belief in the power of
the poisonous snake to charm it's vic,
Tins is by no means exterminated.
Trustworthy observers have related
how birds or small animals have been
seen to approach the coiled snake,
drawn toward it as by magic spell :"
yet Gin spite of all thai has been argued
for and against it there are people VINO
profess to have ocular proof of this
power.
"Prof. Brehm once made a series OF
experiments in well-lighted room,"
says the report, "and in every case ex.
cept one the victim at first made it's
escape, but was captured in articulo
mortis after betraying it's waning
strength by curious symptoms" The
birds and animals were sparrows, &c
piers, rats, weasels, quails, woodpeck
ers and meadow larks Pittsburgh Dis
patch.