The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-02-07
SERPENT'S WISDOM A
MYTH.
SNAKES GOOD AS FOOD, BUT
NOT AS PETS, SAYS A
SCIENTIST.

Their Cunning and Curiosity
Good Points About Them-snake
Meat Sandwiches.
Snakes are all right as food, but
very unsatisfactory as pets, for the
reason that they have no psychology
cal nature" said a SCIENTIST now con-
nected with Harvard university.
During six years residence in the
west he made close study of snakes
and their ways. Having them in his
study unconined and about his prem
ises In numbers. he became familiar
with them.
The wisdom Of the serpent he pro-
nounces q myth, though he admits
that snakes have much cunning, are
willy to a degree and perfectly under
stand their power and limitations.
For example, rattlesnake does not
retreat in haste when disturbed. Real
izing that its bite ends the game, 1t
is invariably deliberate, but IL left to
itself in its own good time it makes
| off.
| Other venomous snakes also recede
slowly, understanding as does the rat
tier, that they are equal to most emer-
| gencies. Contrary to the common no
tion,t snakes are not hostile to man.
The most venomous and powerful
will run from man If possible. 1t Is
only in selfdefence that any poison
Gus snake strikes.
| That a rattlesnake rattles to give
warning Of its presence is popular
fallacy. 1t really does nothing of the
kind. The tails of all snakes quiver
when they are excited and therefore
the rattle is heard when disturbed.
Why it has rattles on its tail no one
has been able to find out.
| II would be, according to this stu
dent Of snakes, quite absurd to con-
clude that the handsome, independ-
ent, husky rattlesnake is instinctively
or otherwise considerate of others in
| giving warning of its presence. AS
are all snakes, it is simply negative
| in its attitude toward others, save
| when the instinct of self preservation
is aroused, when 1t becomes positive
in self defence
The chief difference between the
| ways of poisonous snake and of one
whose bite is no worse than the sting
| Of a mosquito, is in the deliberate
withdrawal Of the one and the hasty
retreat of the other in case of dan
ger. The large majority Of snakes
are quite harmless and slip away with
all speed at the approach OF either
human being or an animal, knowing
that the ability to conceal themselves
is their one means of preservation.
While not crediting snakes with
wisdom, ii is stated that in many
ways they are the reverse of stupid.
They are very curious, and when they
can do so without danger to them
selves, they examine an unfamiliar
object with keen and repeated atten-
tion.
1t is related by this scientist that in
attempting to capture a water snake
he put his foot on it in the soft ooze
at the creek side. but failed to hold
it. To see what the snake would do,
he stood perfectly still. and in few
moments it came back and, swim
ming slowly round and round his
boot, examined it most carefully, not,
as might be supposed, by looking at
it, but by touching it at every point
with its tongue, not once, but again
and again.
The quick thrusting out and draw
ing in of the tongue is a snakes way
of finding out what things about il
mean. The tongue is its most import
ant sense organ. 1t really has very
little sensation elsewhere, and those
that are most poisonous can, if not
restrained or hurt, be moved about |
with impunity.
Yet those who handle and study |
snakes constantly invariably hold |
them by the back of the neck, as a |
cat does a kitten, and both seize and |
liberate them with alacrity. Before |
they are seized the rule is to keep |
out of striking distance, which is
one-third the length of the snake.
In the college town where these
studies OF snakes were made the anti
pathy and horror with which they are
ordinarily regarded no longer pre-
walls. On one occasion city visitor
at the scientists house announced in
terror that there was a snake on the
steps of the porch.
Yes, it's summing ITSELF" her host
ess replied easily. "I often fear some
one will step on IT, For several years
1t has been about the grounds. 1t is
quite harmless, though occasionally
It captures and devours young rob-
in. Snakes are so very fond Of birds,
and they require live food"
For some years large pilot snake,
picked up on Michigan prairie and
named Daisy, was almost constantly
with this man, who, to know snakes,
made companions of them. Often it
wound itself about his arm and it
seemed to like being there.
The dainties that snakes love he
provided and he constantly bestowed
on Daisy such care and attention as
was calculated to win snakes affec-