The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-11-29
MYTHS ABOUT SNAKES.
DR.. Surface State ZooIogist Says They
are MaIigned, Abused, and
Misunderstood.
INTERESTING BULLETIN JUST ISSUED.

which there is so much fear and
ignorance and toward which there
is so much cruelty almost uni
formly shown in relentless and
unjust warfare as snakes, accord
ing t. State Zoologlst Surface.
Ignorance, mythology and su
perstltlon have combined to sur
round them with an atmosphere
of dread" says DR.. Surface, who
has made a careful study of the
snakes of Pennsylvania. at is
not only superstition, but also lg-
norance and unnecessary fear
which have rendered 1T impossi-
BILE for any person to study them
carefully"
For the purpose of exploding
many popular notlonsaboutsnakes
DR.. Surface has issued bulletin
upon the reptiles of Pennsylvania
with a special reference to their
food and economic features. The
bulletin states that among the
myths, fallacles or folklore con
corning serpents current in some
parts of Pennsylvania are the fol-
lowing;
Snakes sting with their tongues;
snakes charm birds and people;
green serpents are veaomous;
there is such a creature as hoop
snake, which rolls like hoop;
there is a horn snake, with q ven-
omous horn at the end of it's tail;
snakes are blind once per month
and regularly DUNG "dog days."
snakes moult or shed their skin
each month; serpents can blow
out or spit poison; snakes chase
and attack people without provo
cation; snakes and other reptiles
are Shiny; certain kinds OF snakes
milk or suck cows; when snakes
are killed the tails do not die till
the sun goes down or until il thun
ders; kill snake and turn it over
to bring rain; snakes spring or
Jump from the ground at their
victims: snakes strike from a
truly coiled position; when fire.
arm is pointed at the snake the
reptile draws it's own bead, and
it is impossible to miss it or shoot
it anywhere but IN the head; the
yellow rattlers are female and the
LACK are males a snake can be
made 10 put out its legs by drop
ping it into fire, snakes lose their
venom by being deprived of wa
ter for six days or more.
Snakes are enormously sup
posed to have medicinal proper
ties, as follows: Calls OF snakes
recon mended fer their bite; their
oil for rheu matism, badness and
deafness; their skin worn for
rheumatism and stiffness; a
snakes heart, oil or blood tor
consumption or other Ills, its
flesh to be eaten for blood dlsor-
ders or other troubles; second
bite of the same snake IN the
same place, to cure or cUunteract
It's first bite; the rattles OF snakes
as chcrms; other parts of snakes
for various cures, prevenlves or
char ms.
DR.. Surface notes the following
as some actual though quner facts
about the Pennsylvania snakes.
Some serpents swallow their
young for temporary protection;
some snakes play "p1ssum" or
act dead as a means of defense;
some snakes lay eggs, others
pear young; fangs OF serpents are
renewed or grow in again after
being extracted; the young black
snake is gray and spotted, and
often mistaken for the spotted
adder, water snake or copper.
head; snakes can live year or
mere without food; serpents Of
ten eat one another; some species
of snakes are beneficial as insect
eaters and others as destroyers
of nice and other obnoxi ,us ro-
dents, as mice and rats; two
headed spakes are not uncom
mon; snakes and other reptiles
are not "coldbloodod, but are
the temperature OF their sur,
roundings.
Dr., Surface announces In h,s