The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-28
1sy RAr71ERs IN 4 rAKe1E.
Henry Moseiey's Rare Experience with Snakes
at Thomnston, Conn.

at Thomnstop, Conn.
BANTAM FALLS. Conn.,, March "a. Henry
Moseley, who is at present n resident OF Wolcott,
captured more than n bushol and a half of semi
torpid rattlesnakes at the foot Of Rattlesnake
Hill, below Thomaston, q few days ago. The
snakes were being thawed out by the rays Of the
warm spring sun. Tho haul wns an unusually
large ono oven for that famous snake country.
Moseley is an elderly man and an odd genius
who divides his time between wood chopping.
snake hunting, banjo picking, story telling, and
lodging the tax gathercr. He lives in q little
shanty which Is so fixed on small wheels that IL
be moved easily.
when they come after me for money / move
my house." said Moselcy the other day. Its
cheaper to move than pay taxes"
Moselcy Is a native of Massachusetts,. He and
his musical instrument are inseparablo, and
both are In great demand at the countryside
dances. His banjo goes with him everywhere,
and he usually punctuates his stories with occa-
sional plunks on the strings. Along the caves
OF his shanty arc hanging rows Of tho snakes
taken in his recent haul, strung by the heads on
sticks. so placed that the sun may have an OPP
portunity to loosen their skins.
81 am not much of n hand at spinning n snake
yarn, - said Moscloy modestly, " but there were
some things about this last catch of mine on
Rattlesnake Hill that were unusually interest
ing to me and prove to my mind that the rattler
has a memory as good as yours or mine. l am
satisfied that the rattler never gets so far away
from home but that 1t can find its way back, and
that's more than any other snake or four-footed
animal can do. From the quantity of snakes I
got, I judge that they came to the Hill from a
distance of from Ave to fifty miles, for I know
we don't have any such number OF ~rattlers
around here in the summer. They come back to
tho Hill because 1t Is their birthplace, and to
| spend the winter in n secure refuge" Plunkety
-plinkety-plunk; pink; plunkcty-plinkety-
plunk.
Ever since I first came into these parts so
many ~rattlers have been taken about Rattle
! snake Hill that l have known there must DO a
alternating and ancestral den on 1t somewhere
for the reptiles. Besides, / was told that there
was, and I've been trying to find the don. off and
on, for u long time. There was an old snake
hunter ramed Holabud who informed me that a
great many years ago he'd seen hundreds and
thousands OF %rattlcrs coming back to tho Hill
from the surrounding country to spend tho win
ter, and that they went into a den where they
rolled themselves into n big ball to remain in u
tHep peep S,@ Of the Sei peep p frogs would opiidHS6 rinE them S%t
again" Observation-Disclosures
EMr. fioiabud was too feeble to show mo
where the den was. but he told INT that he was
sure it was the birthplace of the r%attlers. that
that their return to its protection from the life
killing frosts, after n season, Of shifting for
iigious duty with them as the flying of birds to a
warmer climate in winter. But how they could
remember TO locate Rattlesnake Hill so certain.
" and return to 1t every time, Holabud said he
could not see. / will tell you Of one OF the ex-
pGrimsnts Holabud said he made 70 convince
home. One e" Time, While s Shooting w % %iH! ap
from RattIesnaEe Hlii. Molabud said he eneoun,
tered a young RATHER and he held the serpents
@ hfnf a a rinr OF OF t Mires T TO marx KIN the e f fsptiio s1 Mas
twisted on its tail. The next winter. Holabud
said. he killed that same snake, still wearing the
ring. in the den on Rattlesnakc Hill. This shows
that the serpent knew to a certainty the way to
get back to its old home when the cold came;
Neutrality-suspicious. plunk.aplunk, plunk.
Now. 1 didn't want, TO disbelicve Mr.. Hol;
should feel bad II I thought any one would not
believe what l say about snakes. but still was
snakes snatesi for 20 a ses ehe q SEEING sst!i is believi h,!! t ! es'. sa St
A; rattlesnake is u heat-loving creature, you
know. and as had never been able to, get any
came out Of their long sleep. So / hunted the
there until last wednesday. when I came I across Tps
a monstrous big ball OF the snakes in the sun on
top of a fiat ledge near the highest part of the
hill. where the air was as warm as toast.
1T was by all odds the greatest sight I ever
saw OF ever expect Spt to on see 1.-THE There they yh Were al al
alive and half dead. like 80 many strips of thick
leather. l suppose their being massed together
them warm. The ball was sort Of relaxed and was
~f1attened out in shape like a great big chair cush-
ledge. which 1 saw at once was the entrance
to the long;looked.for den, This cavern was
snakes in the place. There was every evidence
that it had been occupied IS a snake den for
about, and any quantity OF old skins that had
been slopghed Of. Ipoked .uP the soil with a
the place; all having Joined in the formation OF
sI "@ii In eo BLK t to the sf bai ho0u As soon as the
snakes saw me they seemed to give a signal. for
roll right for the Assure in the ledge" PiunEetty
kAs for me, didn't know what to do. I was SO
there, all balled up for me, and / didn't have a
thing With me to kin them never felt SO dis
pected to have so much to do in the way Of snake
hunting so early in the season. and all l could
which was lying there. All the time those
snakes were a getting, up more ~headwsy and
arIGll.n 70 f fns'9 den ana In fa anoIbr right mo re the so@ sn,
should lose three-quartcrs Of them" PUNK.
+" acted On the impulse Of the moment. Said
I can do with this board. At that l ran as fast
to throw my board down and cover up the en-.
trance to the cave Just before the ball reached
tnc, spot. Inc Dig Dali struck inc DOarQ with |
such an impetus that 1t bounded clear over the
fssure and the next instant was on its way down
the hill and across the top of the ledge. Before
the snakes could untangle themselves the ball
was bouncing down the footpath on the ca st side
OF Rattlcsnake Hill. 1t soon whizzed 80 fast
that the snakes had to tighten their grip for
safety" ~Blink-plunk.
II stood watching tho ball as 1t went down the
path. II was a big whirling brown mass. All
went well with it until IL reached a sharp turn
in the path. where IL flew off the track and shot
over the brow of the cliff, which is about fifty
feet high. The ball fell into a mud bank below,
and the thud seemed to stun tho snakes. for
when l finally got to them they had not moved,
so l had no reason to feel afraid of them. had
n good deal Of trouble In untying them and
strengthening them out, SO thai ! could cut the
threats Of the lot" Neutrality-suspicious.
Observation-Disclosures.
Mr.. Moscley secured l47 snakes in all.