The sun., 1907-03-10

move with rapidity that Is lightning like.
The fangs are small. but after the coral
snakes have succeeded in affiKiRg them in
the flesh Of their prey they bite and bite
again, until thetr. fangs have made number
Of incisions - 800
OF the viperine family the most common
IN America are the water moccasin or
cotton mouth" snake. the highland mocCa-
sin or copper-head snake, and tho rattle
snake.
The moccasin Is an extremely venomous
reptile. The water moCcasin is met with
IN the Atlantic Coast region as far North as
North Carolina. In a wild state these water
moccasins are inclined to he pugnacious.
but after few months in captivity they
become doclie and lazy, They derive.their
nickname Of cotton mouth" from the habit
they have Of opening their jaws wide when
startled, and showing their mouths white
interior.
The last chapter i'm Mr., Ditmarss volume
Is devoted to rattlesnakes. There is quite
an assortment Of them in America But the
king Of them all is the diamond-back rattle
snake, which. says Mr.. Ditmars, is second TO
none of the poisonous snakes of the world
IL reaches sometimes length Of eight feet,
and its fangs are nearly an inch long. The
venom stored in each tooth's tip acts with
great rapidity upon the nerve centres OF
the human being or animal into whose
syst EN- it has been injected
The favorite food OF the diamond-baok
rattler is a cotton-tail rabbit.
The diamond-back will never fee from
danger. 1t is always on the alert, and at
the slightest hint of approaching trouble
the whir of its rattle will sound instantly.
The diamond back is olive or grayish green
in color. The markings on its back are da-
mond-shaped and darker than the rest of
Its skin. These diamond-shaped figures
extend in a chain down its back and are
bordered with yellow.
Mr., Ditmars declares that il is impossible.
as popularity asserted, to tell the age of a
rattlesnake by the number Of its rattles A
rattlesnake, he says, does not acquire a
new ring in its rattle every year and after a
rattle attains length Of ten Or eleven rings
any subsequent additional segments soon
break of
Mr.. Ditmars devotes several pages to
discussing remedies for snake-bite. He
scouts the idea that large doses of whiskey
are an efficacious antidote. To dull a mans
nerve centres with liquor after he has been
bitten by poisonous snake he AYERS does
more harm than good. He prescribes that
whiskey should be given in only small
quantities, when it acts as a stimulant.
1T is a bold assertion hut nevertheless
true, says Mr.. Ditmars, that the majority
Of so-called cures by the whiskey method
have been but recoveries by frightened
individuals from the bites of harmless
snakes"
II one is bitten by a snake, Mr. Ditmars
advises, he should make post haste for the
nearest surgeon. But if no surgeon is
within reach, an incision should be made
across the wound inflicted by the serpent's
fangs and the blood sucked from the wounds
orifice. a tight ligature first having been
affixed to prevent a fresh supply of blood
flowing TO the spot where the snake struck
Afterward the wound should be washed
with a solution of permanganate Of potash,
which nullifies the poison by oxidizing it
There has recently been discovered an
anti-venomous serum. which has proved
effective on occasion 1t comes in small
sealed tubes. and Mr.. Ditmars counsels
that any one planning to travel in a snake
infested country should take a supply Of
this serum with him.