The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
Suicides or RITTLESS4KES.
Love One of the Causes II You Believe
Simon Kent OF Clinton County.


Some people say that rattlcsnake won't
commit suicide" said Simon Kent OF Clinton
county. Il say that they are wrong. I've seen
rattlcrs put an end To themselves dozens of
times. but never when thoy were in CAPTIVITY.
Why that is am unable to say. II you have a
rattlesnako Gagged up you may put all sorts Of
indignities upon him, and. while he will work
himself into a rage. somehow he won't let his
feelings overcome him so far that he will turn
to and bite and kill himself. 1t is entirely diff
ferent when he Is met with on HE native bar
rem and corncrcd. He won't. as II general
thing. put an end to himself until he has ex-
haustcd all means at hand in trying to get out
OF the trouble he is in. Then sometimes his
rage seems to get beyond his control. and he
twists his head around and sets his fangs in
his body. right over his heart and in less time
than you could kill him with club he stretches
out still
Il have known a RATHER to kill himself from
disappointment. and. strangest thing of all.
from disappointment in love / witnessed an
unmistakable case Of il one warm day in early
spring. 1t was Just at mating time. and went
TO ledge OF rocks where | always had great
luck In gathering big crop Of rattIers. Just
before / reached the ledge came out into an
open space in tho woods. and there, on big
fiat rock. lay three rattlesnakes. One was
nicely ooiled at one edge Of tho rock. and the
other two were stretched out ut full length
The cooled snake saw ut once was a female.
and she was II beauty and no mistakr She
was as yellow ms gold and her sea es glistered
on the rock Were males. and both OF them fine
ones-ons enintnE black fellow ard the
the snakes the yellow ebay rrcpt over to-
ward rho collect snake 10y short rhoppy. kitten.
ish sQuirms; He stopped within two feet Of
her roiIrd himself aHd set his rattlcs going in
Il dronng hum. Then h. shot his head ont
toward tho tomato til" strik" Icing in play
Instantly the go,den beauty hriste'l up She
head VicioHsly ward the bold diStuTbrr ~ her
rerosc and Kissed The fellows feathers
seemed to drop a good many points at This
rattlrr aud n twist or two OF his thin neck h"
nncoIle3 md retired 70 th" SPOT on TIE rock
again, with his head toward tho female and his
blazing eyes fixed upun her.
few seconds passed. and then the black
and went through eI9ct'y tho same nau,ru-
yros that III" yellow chap Ind liut the con-
duct q the ir'nal", was entirely different She
ing hum that tho, black RATHER brought from
his, and. inStoai OF striking ont nj him with
vigorous aud vicious disEleasurc, ms she had nj
neck forward in the playful way and almost
mot III" IirS Of the black RATHER as he darted
""'W"iI,' thouqht !. those two fellows arc
couMinG thAt Yellow charmer sure as guns!
then Appearances arc AWAY OF
And TINT was the case exactly. After the
female ana tn" black rnttlcrI,nd nirted perhaps
two or three minutes they lett the rock and
went away 10 iegln housekeeping Tor the sea :
sob. The yellow male, seeing that hr was
thrown clear overheard and no mistake about
II. wigglcd around on the rock IN an GimiesS
and plainly diSronSul0te way awhile. and then
suddenly threw his head back and buried his
rock h., was deadcr than last years cabbage
stump"