The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-31
REPTILES NOT VALUELESS
Psychologists Have a Proper Re
gard for Snakes.
FIrst-CIass RattIcr- in Good Condi-
ton Easily Worth x2o-Thc Great
Demand for Them Only on Scion
INC ACCOMPLISHMENTS of the Hunt.

Inn .ccouut-Duurers of the Hunt.
Snakes are increasing rapidly IN value
few years ago a diamond-backed ia'
tlesnake would not have brought cents
from any dealer in reptiles. Today good
sized rattlesnake is worth w at ieaS''
Twenty-Five dollars would be paid by
public geological garden or ny a Phs sie''''
interested in snake toxins.
Hundreds Of physicians in the United
States today make a speciality of study
in. the poisons secreted by the four ven
omous snakes of this country. They COM
mare the effects of these poisons upon the
human system with the effects of the tox-
ms produced by the bacilli of various
diseases In this manner they hope to
discover not only an anudote FOR snake
bite. but an antitoxin for swamp feVers
and dozens of other ills that flesh is heir
to.
This demand for American snakes has
produced corresponding activity in the
business of snake-hunting. The Smithso-
MAN institution at Washington is contin-
ually on the alert for rare specimens. Inc
Bronx Zoo recently sent n understanding
expedition to South Carolina under the
lead of r. l.. Ditmars. Mr.. Ditmars VIII
soon start South on a second suake-hunt-
ing trip Dr. Weir Mitchell, the author
and scientist is one of the best known
students of snake toxins. 1t is said that
he sometimes has as manay as l,Voo
snakes In his laboratory.
For various reasons poisonous snakes
are much less common in the country
than they were at one time Still there
are enough to make things interesting in
many localities. In western Texas ranch
ers families living in sod huts look I'M
der the bed daily for prairie rattlers ana
only sleep secure under a mosquito net
canopy The poisonous snakes OF the
United States are the rattler, copperhead'
moccasin. and coral snake. The nrst
three belong all to the same family-the
cratalidae-and their poisons. so far as
known, are familiar. The coral or Harie-
o,,in snake is found only in the South,
and its venom very much resembles mat
of the deadly East Indian cobra. lie is
brightly banded. small. harmless LOOKING,
but very vicious. No certain remedy is
known for the bite of any OF these
snakes. Whisky and strychnine given IN
doses large enough often TO produce con-
vulsions are usually most effective. very
much depends upon the constitution of
the person bitten, and upon the portion
of the body that the snakes fangs strike.
bitten by these snakes die. All this goes
10 prove, of course, that snake hunting
IS a real sport inasmuch as the hunted
sometimes gets back at the hunter
A SERPENT CROP IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
For persons who enjoy snake stalk
ing" said r. l.. Ditmars, of the Bronx
Zoo. Il can recommend certain parts OF
South Carolina above any other section
E-ay 10
four-mile swamp near the little town of
Rooertsville in Hampton county is a
snakes paradise. There be the snakes of
the South and the snakes of the North,
every creeping thing is as the sands OF
the sea for numbers. Portions of the
swamp are overgrown with huge PUSHES
and portions with cane brake dovetailing
into pine swamps, the trees running up
nifty feet to the first limb and hung thick
with sage green moss. Under foot is a
bog alternating with Shiny pools and
treacherous morasses.
Snake hunting is fascinating as deer
stalking-especiaily 10 a man who finds
some meaning in every band on pit
viDer's back No moose was ever more
ready to take alarm than are these slip
perry Quarries. and to land a bag run OF
Valuable snakes is task that calls for
adroitness mingled with d high quality of
perseverance.
Night is the very best time for catching
snakes for it Is then that the serpent
tribes uncoil themselves and glide kissing
about the swamp in perfect freedom.
Obviously this sort Of thing is not with
out danger. and after one trial of II the
snake hunter usually prefers daylight.
In the moonlight a haze floats above the
swamp and il lays like silvery sea.
Within it. the pines are ghosts whose
long boards sweep the pools, diamond
har heads.
racers moccaslus and strange pink water
snakes glide noiselessly. and alligators
keep up their loud. uncanny believing.
The air is heavy with the musky odor of
serpents
In daylight the hunter rides in mounted
mule usually and clad in an arfnor
of heavy brown duck, high top boots. and
stout flexible gloves. His weapons are
bamboo stick with running moose of fine
copper wire at the end. and a second cane
furnished with a wire net. He always
carries a revolver, too. II he Is wise.
Across the mules neck is balanced a
short cane stick and from each end OF
the stick bangles a good-sized cotton bag
These bags are for the snakes, ana II a
score of the squirmins things are turned
loose I'm each bag before the hunt is over,
# is all the same To the mule. Like
Achilles. the mule has one Vulnerable
point in his heel but snakes are nearly
always too busy to go nosing about a
mules heels The mule sagacioesly picks
his way through he swamp along deer
maths which wind in and out where 4
single misstep oftimes would tumble him
and his rider into pool swarming with
aligators and twenty-five sorts OF water
snakes.
THE REPTILE WILL FIGHT
snake sta lker Of course only at
tempts TO take the more valuable and
strange specimens of serpents. When he
catches the CLEAN of the right sort Of a
coat through the rushes, or spies a fine
Tnoccasin dangling from A limb over his
head. he halts and goes into action with
his copper wire moose and bamboo stick.
If he can he slips the moose over his
snakeships neck and draws it taut. Then
he gets the pulling, thrashing, splitting
reptile twixt thumb and foretinger around
the neck and drops him into the cotton
bag He gives the bag a quick swirl Sc
that the fang that darts forth instantly
Is embedded In thick fold Of cloth. In
Variahly in a crisis a hunter throws away
copper wires and scizes snake with h s
hands grasping him well toward the
head, so that he cannot twist it around
and thrust his fang into the hands.
II is not uncommon for snake stalker
TO bag dozen moccasins around sir
gle pool. A few weeks ago Mr.. Ditmars
in company with his assistant. Mr.. Sny-
der, and a guide. was trekking in the
wamp near Robeftsyillc. The guide had
only consented TO lead the party on tbs
snake hunt In consideration Of double pas
and enormous potations Of free whisky.
In the middle afternoon they were pro.
ceedingly slowly, single file, when Dit
mars loitcred moment in search Of pos
Bible catches
Go ahead; I'll overtake you" he called
to the others He began prodding the bot
with him bamboo stick and found II alive
with moccasins Some he captured with
the wire moose. one eluded him and slip
ped into the water. Ditmars followed th'
Snak down 10 his hnni IONS In the slinlN