Year: 1875

The recent ignomlnlous defeat OF


q ferocious young lioness BY a hum


bic and ugly donkey, in the soologic-


al garden, has had a curious parallel


IN Che result of o deadly combat,


Wednesday evening, between a large


diamond rattlesnake and a littlesquir.


rel during the snake exhibition over


the Rhine, at 522 Vine Street Inc


snake was one of the largest of it


species, six and half feet in length,


aud having been without food for


months, was inclined to act on the
offensive the squirrel was inexperi-
enced in serpent warfare, but won
derfully plucky. On the whole, we
are inclined to think the poor little
squirrel at having distinguished Lin
self even more than the brave dom
key, whose prowess has been ably
memorializeJ in marble by Cincin>
natl sculptor. The donkey barely
saved his life BY q desperate strug-
gle, without inAicting much hurt OH
his terrible antagonist; the squirrel
was kfi alone to contend with the
most dreaded and deadly enemy to
human or animal life, and actually
slew its antagonist. We erred in pro-
nouncing the feathery.tailedlittl war.
rior dead yesterday. lie still lives,
and by careful treatment might re-
cover. But lis hideous enemy is
dead.


1t was not known that the snake
had expired until a late hour We'd
nesday night. When the squirrel
had been placed in the cage, the Sill
my shiny monster Immediately sprang
his rattle and colled to strike; while
the squirrel, having taken a good
look all around the cage, and found
escape to be impossible, prepared him.
sely for the worst, watching his gilt
tering-eyed enemy with fierce resolu-
ton. The spectacle became highly
interesting to the spectators, for the
deadly ophidian was contending with
q tar higher form of life, finer or
ganism, a more intelligent being
than the helpless creatures which or
dinarily supplied him with food.
Snake and squirrel alike poised them
selves for the Spring, the tail OF the
former vibrating so rapidly as to be-
come almost invisible, and emitting
q sound like the buzz of brazen clock
work the tail Of the latter trembled
slightly with the tension Of the squir-
refs muscles. Suddenly a sickly
glenn of livid white shot across tho
cage, and struck the squirrel below
the neck, once, twice, with the rapid
ity of an electric fash. The specta-
tors ceased to laugh and whisper;
the sight was too horrible. But the
brave little squirrel did not shrink
nor drop. He sprang forward to
meet his foe, and caught the writhing
tail between his keen teeth. There
was a cracking sound like the crush.
ing Of chicken ZONES, q hideous shrill
hiss, an agonizing wriggle through
the long speckled body, and the next
instant the squirrel was wrapped in the
coils of the serpent, while the fras'
ments of the bony rattles fell on the
floor of the cage, crushed into tiny
slivers. But the squirrel still showed
no fear, although the many colored
folds frightened around him, and the
awful triangular head approached
with wide open jaws and needle sharp
fangs, and eyes in which the IRIS cir
Gle seemed transformed to flame.
There was another 81 kly fash OF
white, as the livid serpent belly turn
ed upward with the effort Of the last
venemous stroke The fangs never
reached the squirrel. lie caught
the speckled neck between his keen
teeth, an inch below the deadly head
with its horrible eyes, and the hor-
rible eyes started out under the pres
sure. There was another cracking
sound, another series Of ghastly con.
vulsions, and the horrible faoged
mouth opened for the last time. The
squirrel shook the reptile between
his strong jaws until the clammy coils
dropped from about him, and then
flung the whole squirming mass from
him. 1t wiithed once or twice, half
coiled and lay still. 1t was dead.


The squirrel Immediately after be-
came very sick, and dropped iuto a
state of apparent coma; thus giving
the impression that it was dead


But it revived little yesterday, and


may possibly recover. Certainly ey"
cry care should be taken Of it for =


braver fight has never been made by
SO helpless an animal against 20 deadly
an enemy.