The Washington herald., 1908-08-02

/ OF tio Albuquerque. was bitten severely
I oy an e-oTrnoUs ceutipede years ago. but
+ cured illTlSelf by the use OF no other rem
I edy than liberal potations Of whisky.
# IHe scorpion Is another unpleasant COM
I panion Of the desert whose venouous
I powers have been greatly overesrinated.
Q i IS IN the habit Of secrarinz itself in
/ ones clothing al night and making It's
: presence felt when one begins 90 dress in
l the morning Its sting is severe and
painful. but rarely dangerous
The hos-nosed viper is found in South
ern New Mexico and Arizona sometimes
wandering as far north as Gallup and
l~aTny- Il IS however not common any
where in the American Southwest Al
though In parts Of Old Mexico IT is a ter
TInle sCOurge- L is about as ugly a crea-
ture as one can well imagine. taking its
name from its CUrued-up nose that
strangely caricatures hogs snout- Over
IT'S eyes are two ho-1-llke scales. some
what similar 10 chsufeUr-s goggles. Il
rarely attains a length Of more than
eighteen inches II hides n the sand.
which Is exactly the same color as It's
body 50 that one IS likely 70 urovol1e II IN
wrath by treading upon it without MOTTO
ing IT, Many sheep herders have been
fatally bitten bv IT, The fangs OF this
ugly creature are precisely similar 70
lhose Of the ratJler. and its venom fully
as deadly
Skunks and RattIesnakes.
Which is the more deadly. the skunk or
the rattIesnake. is a query that many a
frontiersman would ponder long before
answering There are two species OF the.
SKUNK OF pOleCat. INDIGENOUS to the
Southwest One is precisely similar in
appearance and characteristics TO the
malodorous little animal that is familiar
70 every one The other Is a little striped
creature Of about half that size. most
common in Southern New Mexico and
Arizona and Northern Mexico. Both have
been known TO inlict fatal bites. but the
small striped animal is the less vicious Of
the two.
II is said that the commonplace .polecat
has to its credit roll OF dead numbering
az ieast loo soldiers Of the United States
army From the time of the American
occupation in the Mexican war down until
the final rounding-up Of Geronimo and his
hand OF Apache braves in the Sierra Mad
res Of Mexico the skunk was responsible
Ior Irom fifteen 70 twenty-five fatalities /
among the soldiers stationed in the South I
west every year Soldiers on the march /
IN the warm climate OF the Southwest I
were accustomed TO sleep on the ground |
y nile they slept the skunk would steal /
up and bite them in the face, most com
monlE selecting the nose. The wound 1
nearly always proved fatal
Three Unpleasant BedfeIIovvs.
Mr- Cobb. the pioneer surveyor OF the
Santa Fe route already mentioned. states
without blushing that the worst fright he
ever had in his life was due 10 three
5 skunks- He was sleeping tn the open on
me Arizona desert Awakening suddenly
ABOUT daybreak. ne was horrifed to see a
large skunk asleep on his breast. another
on MS stomach, and third on his legs.
The night was frosty. and the warmth
y MS body had evidently vvooed them 10
siumoer- To throw the three OF his body Il
oy sudden spring from his recumbent
position without giving them time to sink
.neir teeth into his flesh was a gymnastic
eat mat he attempted with entire sue
'ess, although he admits that nothing
yut the strength inspired BY terror made
possible Next night he camped IN the
iane place. but set himself TO watch for
hunks Instead Of TO sleep. Before morn
ng daWned he had shot seven Evidently
ne three he had unwittingly entertained
ne night before had spread the news Of
Is hospitality among their friends. d.