Show 7 I. I il Fallacies About Rattlesnakes I Contrary to the time general belief beller tho timo I rattler rarely gives its characteristic note noto of or warning until actually at attacked at- at tacked In fact the sharp vibrant ring of Its terminal appendage Is probably probably probably ably designed more to assist this or very sluggish serpent to obtain Its food lood than to sound defiance or warning In tIme the first place serpents possess but the most ru rudimentary traces of auditory apparatus and are practically deaf deat t b deficiency de In the time sense of or hearing beIng beIns belag be be- lag Ins compensated for by an nn extreme sensitiveness of ot feeling which makes them aware of or the tIme approach ch of or mo ln moving mo objects b by the tile vibration of or the tile ground Hunters treading upon a soft sort carpet of or moss or leaves to avoid alarming game will often step close to toor toor toor or over o a rattler without disturbing it or receiving warning and while man many snakes arc are seen and killed h b by t Is probable that a a. far greater number aro are passed b by unnoticed All AU snakes are arc timid and would rather run th than n fight and the rattler Is not Inviting certain destruction by advertising its whereabouts In the time brush Another common misconception which is apt to l lead Idad to serious accidents Is tho the belief that a rattler 0 a s rendered perfectly per per- harmless so that It can be bo handled handled han han- died with Impunity by the removal of its poison polson fangs tang These fangs two in number are situated on tho time upper Jaw Jawand jawand and lie flat fIat except when the serpent strikes when the they become erect and the time closing of tIme the Jaws compresses compresses' time poison polson glands and ond injects the venom through minute openings in them In striking its prey for whatever charm the tIme serpent may employ to get set its victim vic tim within easy roach reach It relies relics upon the time venom to give tho timo coup de grace these fangs may often ho bo broken nn and Nature turo has provided at full supply of ot reserve weapons which lie He dormant Inthe Inthe in inthe the gums sums and which within two weeks week will develop and replace the injured fan fang An acquaintance who returned from froma a a. hunting trip with twenty-five twenty full full- grown rattlers In a a. box kept them In his Imis office for two months confined behind behind behind be be- hind a meshed coarse wire screen Ho handled them them most c carelessly as ns he had extracted the poison polson fangs but when shown that each of or them had holl developed a n. perfect pair of or new onesI ones I there was a sudden rise In the local I snake mortality Ono One was preserved d and sent to the Bronx Zoo where It I shortly afterward gave birth to a large larKe litter of or youn young ones which could have easily crawled through the thc screen behind behind be- be beI I hind which tho Limo mother had been kept I As each of or them possessed possesse time the poison polson j apparatus In lull full commission and was without the power of or rattle they would have been even avon more dangerous than i adult snakes I 1 Professional snake handlers aro are often orten I Ignorant of or this I power ower to quickly re replace replace ro- ro place fangs Cang possessed b by rattlers and this tills I Ignorance led lell to a serious 1 acci- I dent mient to one ono of or them at Bostocks Bostock's at Coney Island last year car Ho lIe was badly I bitten and narrowly escaped de death th his recover recovery being attributed to the generous generous gen gen- erous amount of or whiskey which was Immediately administered to him which illustrates another mistaken Idea i fl Is a pity to shatter a pleasant pheasant Illusion but alcohol except In very small doses oses Is 13 harmful rather than beneficial as asan asan an antidote to snake-bite snake poison polson I I |