Page:Hunting and trapping stories; a book for boys (IA huntingtrappings00pric).pdf/126

 declare that it is automatic, that is, when the snake bites the jar presses the poison sac and squeezes the venom out.

The rattlesnake's poison looks like a drop of milk. An easy way to see it is to tie a strong, thick, leaf on the end of a long stick and present it to the snake, who strikes at it and the poison will be found on the leaf.

You will probably in the course of your life hear wonderful yarns of rattlers jumping ten feet or more, but receive them with a pinch of salt. A rattler cannot spring more than its own length at most. If you stop and think you will see that it is impossible. When the snake finds an enemy it forms a coil at once with its tail in the middle and its head raised for defence. It keeps its rattle buzzing and it looks very angry. When it does strike it moves like lightning; in fact any person not accustomed to snake's ways might truthfully declare that he did not see the head move at all.

The "rattle" of the snake is very curious. The "buttons" vary in number according to the snake's age and the average is about eight, but the writer has seen as many as sixteen. When rattling the snake sticks the end of its tail up in the air and it is seen vibrating rapidly. The sound produced thereby is like dry peas being shaken in a bladder One very curious thing about this sound is that at one time it seems to be coming from one direction, when in reality it is coming from the opposite way. Wood choppers and people who have to work in the undergrowth, where the snakes live, throw from time to time chips of wood into the bushes and this is quite sufficient to scare the snakes away.

Rattlers love to lurk in deserted mine shafts and caves. A traveller, well known to the writer, relates that while he was in Mexico, he and a companion entered the shaft of a deserted gold mine. The instant they were completely in the dark their ears were almost stunned by the dreaded rattling. One man struck a match and they saw to their horror that the place was literally full of rattlers. The man who was behind said to his companion "Dont move, there is a snake under your feet." He looked down and sure enough the heel of his boot was upon the head of a large fellow. He had sense enough not to jump but he ground his heel into the dirt and thus killed the snake. Had he tried to get away the chances are that the snake would have had him. Both men drew their revolvers and fired. For an instant the rattling ceased and then they rushed for the entrance and were soon in sunlight again while from the mouth of the pit a greater chorus than ever of rattling was coming out.

A party of men while prospecting in New Mexico halted for lunch