The Washington times., 1903-10-18

mn snakes. From education or |
vi otherwise the majority of men |
seek for a club or stone with |
which to kill every serpent they see,
and the average woman gathers UP her
skirts and runs away. Yet the zoologist
not only has no fear Of snakes, but likes
to catch and study them. In the case of
harmless snakes this is easy enough,
but the poisonous snakes and the big
ones are not only difficult to handle.
but great art is necessary in capturing
and making friends with his snakeship.
To locate the gruesome creatures. to
sit on the trail Of a fine specimen, and
to seize it bare handed so as not to injure
the reptile are things beyond persons
who have not had experience. In the
first place the zoologist never kills a
snake unless he is obliged to do so for
personal safety. One of the snake men
at the Smithsonian recently related to
a Times reporter the results of some of
his hunts for garter snakes and other
reptiles which he wished to study. 1t
was necessary for him to get many
snakes. big and little. Some of them
were fed to large cannibals which he
had imprisoned. and others were for
special examination To kill one of them
would have been geological crime. y
Garter snakes. black snakes, coach
whip snakes. and the various species
s. belonging to the family Of racers said
the zoologist, ARE captured with the
bare hands, exactly as little girl might
pick up a kitten. In some cases, especial
ly when large blacksnakes are picked
ND in this way, the reptile turns and
sinks his teeth into a hand or finger,
but the bite is not poisonous and is
n accident which is
quite likely to happen. Hundreds Of
snakes have been caught in the woods
and fields about Washington in this
way, and IL was thus that an albinO
garter snake was caught. The reptile
measured nearly two feet in length
and in all respects was exactly
similar TO the ordinary garter snake,
except that it was almost q creamy
white, and it's eyes were pink, like the
eyes of a white rat or a white rabbit.
The snake lived and thrived in it's cage
in the reptile house until it was swal-
lowed by black racer.
This Is Tame Sport.
but the catching of harmless snakes
is tame sport compared to the handling
of the dangerous poisonous reptiles. And
yet to the snake man it is pretty much
the same whether he handles a death
dealing viper or whether the reptile is
of the harmless family. The expert can
tell at glance whether a certain piece
of woods or a stony. scrubby hillside is
apt to be a suitable hunting ground.
THE season of the year enters into the
calculation. and even the time of the
day. If the ground looks suitable. the
hunter enters. knowing where TO find his
quarry and just how TO approach IL in
order TO capture II without too much
risk to himself. But, as may be imag-
ined, the work remains dangerous.
1.-The first indication of the presence
of a RATHER is the sharp. unmistakable
rattle as II pierces the ear almost as a
switch brought across the hand on a
cold day leaves its sting. The sound Of
the rattle is like that of a moving md
chine several hundred yards distant in a
hay field. The reptile is the fairest
fighter of all living creatures, never fail
ing TO give due warning Of its hostile
intent. Bending low and gazing among
the shrubs. the dangerous one may be
espied- He IS cOried on himself Ike a
spiral spring his head, fat and TRAN
gulsr. and fourth Of his body raised
out of the circles of coils and bent into
the shape Of a horizontal S. ready 70
strike with lightning rapidity The eyes
glare black and cold as the viper Is
poised like tense spring, alert and
ready TO bury its long. needle-like pois-
on fangs and 70 inject the frightful
poison.
Begging a Rather.
IF the intruder is without striking
distance and remains so, he is in little
danger. as oI5y in the rarest cases
have snakes been known TO attack and
assume the initiative. II the hunter
withdraws, gradually the viper assumes
a position OF repose, which II maintains
until again threatened. But 10 the
snake catcher the threat of the RATHER
is not serious deterrent. He knows
the creature can strike only within a
radius OF about two-thirds its length
Having struck, 10 must recoiI and ain
a second time before IL can send out its
hideous head. siX-fOot stick is al
that is necessary TO catch the formida.
bic snake Pushing the end OF the sticI
toward the reptile, the hunter watches
his chance. The RATHER Is motionless
as IL carved out of stone. only its beady
icy eyes fastened upon the end Of the
stick, 20 await the proper moment e
bite. When that comes, there is 9