Year: 1872

A Chapter on RattIesnakes.

 The rattlesnake is perhaps the most sluggish of all the serpent tribe, for even the puf-adder of the Cape, which tha that reputation in general, is very active when enraged; but the rattlesnake. excepting just after and just before its winter-sleep, never bites excepting in self-defence, and does not go out of it's way to attack anyone. Unless molested, there is very little to fear from this snake but the misfortune is, that you cannot tell when you are going to moless it, as, in coming down bluff, or pick ing your way in a gulLey, you may, with the best intentions in the world, put your foot on a rattlesnake. And then the terrific swiftness of his dart ! Not even the cobra, which had always con- sidered riyaled the very lightning in;its movements movements which l will defy almost any eye to follow-is quicker 1 than the rattlesnake in that one deadly ! act. Yet, to strike, it must be in a close coil, its head and neck being erect it 1 throws itself out about three-fourths of it's length, supporting it's weight entire l ly on the tail-part. I have. however, known two persons who have trodden on rattlesnakes, and have escaped third was still more remarkably fortu- nate. One, a gentleman who has killed more than fifty of them, recognized | what his foot touched without stopping to look, and jumped higher than he had probably ever done before in his life the other was not so quick, and the reptile struck him three times with elec- tric quickness, but his trousers and long boots saved him. This disposes of fallacy very generally held, that venom

 ous serpents will not bite twice in suc- cession. There were the three pair of fang-marks quite plainly to be seen in his white trowsers. One young man who was bathing in the river Platte had | more extraordinary escape still, for, on emerging from the water, he sat down, being, of course, completely naked, on rattlesnake which was basking in the grass. Whether he sat upon the reptiles l head, or whether the creature was too astonished by his sudden descent, can never be known, but certain it is that the afrighted bather leaped up with shriek. and escaped unhurt.

 It is told that this particular serpent | has very offensive odor when irritated, and that Dr. Hamilton Roe owed his life to knowledge of that fact. The physician having opened box directed to the Superintendent of the Geological Gardens, London, put his hand-most rashly, it seems to me-under the dry moss which appeared, to see what was there. He touched something alive, and the smell told him it was rattle snake. Had he withdrawn his hand rapidly, he would have been bitten to 8 certainty but he had the presence of mind to stroke the reptile, which allow ed him to take his hand gently away. This is well-known story ; I only refer to it to add that this odor is so powerful and permanent that when a snake is irritated and made to bite the rake or hoe with which it is intended to kill him and, as may be supposed, this is very often done-the implement will retain the same unpleasant smell for months

 Once known, it is always recognizable.

 As much cannot be said of the sound of the rattle. I have been on the prairie when opinions have been divided as to whether certain ominous clicking arose from the grasshoppers, which were there in great numbers, or rattlesnake. It is not pleasant, at twilight, to have any doubt on this subject. The chief thing against the rattlesnake theory was, that these reptiles seldom. move or leave their holes after sundown. But would warn the reader not to depend too much on this, as some snakes are certainly of irregular habits, and have been known to crawl into tents, and into beds within the tents. This was for the sake of warmth. Very often the reptiles will content themselves with coming inside :; and so true is it that use doth breed a habit in a man, that I have known men to sleep quietly all through the night when they were perfectly aware that a rattlesnake was within the walls of their tent. They rolled themselves tight in the blanket, knowing that the creature would not touch any one if it were not first attacked, and that, when light came, it would go away. In one instance, a man was bitten at night. He was on the prairie, and sleeping near his. horse, which was fastened by long rope to a log or stone. The horse broke away, and the man feeling after the rope in the grass, disturbed rattlesnake, which

 bit him on the back of his hand. He was cured by a remedy which I think I have seen recommended in England. A friend cut with a penknife the skin round the puncture, so as to enlarge the

 wound and made it bleed /; then he put a small heap of gunpowder on the spot,

 ignited it-no pain attending this-and

 the man was cured. I would just add here, that the stranger must not depend on always hearing the rattle when the

 snake moves :; it is only violently shaken when the animal is alarmed, or is about : to attack, and then the warning and the l assault are too close together for the victim to escape.

 The rattle has been too often described to need much to be said about it here ) it is known to consist of number o bones, looking like knuckle bones securely fastened together, yet so loosely that they make clicking noise wher shaken. These grow on the tail of the reptile ; and the popular belief is, tha

 the first joint, which is always of { s darker color than the others, takes two ) years to grow, while afterward the snakt s has an additional joint each year. Som, 5 observers contest this, and argue tha s the reptile forms it's rattle much faste

 than at this rate. The wearing of thi l rattle in the hat or bonnet is said to b q an infallible specific against the head { ache, and is frequently worn on tha

 account.

 PUMPKIN PRESERVES. nice rip = pumpkin into pieces third of an incl e thick, pairing them. Take equal weigh l, in white sugar. Allow the juice of on s lemon to pound of pumpkin. Let tn q pumpkin remain in pan with tn 6 sugar and juice all night. In the morn