The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-17
nenennrnt Rrnii1ea,

Two Of the threo kinds of snakes
against which Mr.. JOHN ID. ROCKEFELLER
has begun a campaign on his pocantiCo
Hills property are non-poisonous and
harmless. These arc the blacksnakes
and gartersnakes, the latter being the
snakes most common throughout tho
United States. Many stories are told
of blacksnakes that have attacked
human beings, and a full grown speci-
men might oonceivably injure a weak,
small child. Even at its greatest de-
velopment this snake Is incapable of
doing more than cause ar unpleasant
construction of the muscles of a grown
person, and the tales Of its attacks on
men and women ending in serious o
sequences to anything except itself may
be put down as imaginary.
The %oopperhead is venomous. 1t be-
longs to the rattlesnake family, is slug
gish in its movements, principally noe
turnal in its habits, seeking by day to
avoid notice.. 1t will not bite unless
greatly alarmed or provoked, and the
popular theory that it lies in wait to
strike human beings from behind is
entirely without foundation. Recently
a New Jersey man boastfully attempted
to charm" a copperhead, and was stung
by it. Usually its victims are those who
Internationally disturb it while they are
handling brush or stones in the woods
or while clearing swamp land.
Each Of these snakes performs a val
liable service to mar in destroying small
pests such as moles and mice. The
blacksnake eats the gartersnake and
the copperhead and rattlesnake, follow
ing their trails by scent, avoiding their
poison fangs and crushing them to death.
1t is also a famous tree climber and a
notorious robber Of birds nests. The
blacksnake may be tanned. The "copper"
head also eats the g~artersnake, which
is the prey of many birds and mammals.
The gartersnake is among the most
courageous of serpents. N~otwithstand-
ing its diminutive size, it shows small
fear of man, though incapable Of ,jur-
ing him, and its strength and agility
make it a frequently victorious oppo-
nent of many animals greatly exceeding
it in bulk. 1t is most prolific, a single
female producing from twenty-five to
seventy-five young at a time.
While the fostering of even the small
and non-poisonous serpents is not likely
to become popular, they are of great
value to the farmer in keeping down
harmful animals to combat which on a
large scale no cheap and effective means
has been found. The harm they do is
limited to the destruction of birds, but
in the warfare for existence that con-
tinues throughout the life Of all animals
the birds are not without means Of offence
and defence. Were snakes the only
enemies the winged tribes had to fear
there would be no need of passing laws
for their protection. A study of life in
the fields and forests will show that,
however strong the instructive dislike
Of man for his serpent fellow beings is.
they are his friends and allies rather
than his enemies. We're it possible to
exterminate them completely, their dis
appearance would result in conditions
far more annoying and harmful than
the annoyances caused by their pres
ence. This is not likely to happen. At
twenty-five cents a head, the reward
offered by Mr., ROCKEFELLER, many will
be killed, it is true, but the supply is
large, and it is not probable that all he
will be asked to pay for will have been
residents of his property.