1858. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



99 



For the ±Cew England Farmer. 

 LIFE IN THE WEST---SAND HILL 

 CEANES—RATTLESNAKES. 



Eds. N. E. Farmer : — I think it A\'ould be 

 interesting to your eastern readers to hear some- 

 ting in relation to the wild fowls, snakes, &c., of 

 the western prairies. Among them is the Sand 

 Hill Crane, {Grus Canadensis.) Many of these 

 noble birds still nest in this vicinity, but their 

 number is small comjiared with the numerous 

 flocks that a few years since might be seen hold- 

 ing their strange dances on some favorite knoll, 

 or feeding, while their sentinels, judiciously post- 

 ed, stood ready to give warning of any intruder. 



Some are credulous as to their dancing. It is 

 true their movements are not so graceful as a 

 Frenchman's, but dance they certainly do. As 

 for their music, though lacking the harmony, it 

 is about as loud and melodious as a fashionable 

 opera air. 



The Sand Hill Crane is omniverous, devouring 

 pretty much anything eaten by birds. The nest 

 is a simple pile of rushes or grass, flat on the 

 top, built in some deep slough or pond. The 

 eggs, two in number, are shaped much like those 

 of the common turkey, of a light umber color, 

 splashed Avith brown. The nest is usually sur- 

 rounded by deep water, but the young birds swim 

 readily, and leave it as soon as hatched. It is 

 believed by many that they separate immediately 

 upon leaving the nest, each of the old birds taking 

 care of one ; the supposition being that they 

 would fight if allowed to remain together. In 

 corroboration of this somewhat singular idea, I 

 can only say, I never found two of the young 

 birds in company. This bird is easily domestica- 

 ted. I once knew one kept for several years, who 

 showed all the attachment and intelligence of a 

 dog. He never forgot a friend or forgave an in- 

 jury. If any o..e had abused him, it was of no 

 avail to attempt disguise ; he recognized his en- 

 emy in any dress, and by an angry croak showed 

 his disjjleasure, and warned them to keep out of 

 his reach. He was a great gormandizer, and was 

 very fond of field mice, many of which he de- 

 stroyed, being quite expert at finding their nests, 

 and searching out the inmates with his long bill. 

 He would have been of service in the garden 

 were it not for his inquisitive propensities, which 

 led him to pull up for examination everything he 

 saw them plant. Though a desire for knowledge 

 might be very laudable, this mode of obtaining 

 it met their disapprobation, and eventually caused 

 his banishment. 



Though a migratory bird, he did not seem to 

 suff'er from cold in winter, and being fond of 

 wading, kept a place in a neighboring slough free 

 from ice till late in the season, by tramping about 

 in it. He was provided with a warm house, but 

 he preferred to sleep with the cows, always sleep- 

 ing beside one of them, lying flat on his breast, 

 with his legs folded under him, and his head and 

 long neck turned back between his wings. He 

 was on good terms with all the cattle, and might 

 frequently be seen playing with them, his part of 

 the performance consisting in springing up, flap- 

 ping his wings and whooping tremendously. This 

 was precisely the same as the dancing of his wild 

 brethren. He would also dance to the waving 

 of a handkerchief; and on windy washing days 



sometimes dance for hours at a time, to the mo- 

 tion of the clothes on the line. When much en- 

 raged, he Avould stand with his head and bill 

 pointed directly upwards, and utter a harsh, 

 croaking sound, quite unlike his usual whoop. 



A young crane makes no despicable article of 

 food. The old ones, I should suppose, would be 

 rather tough and snaky ; but an old hunter of 

 my acquaintance says "a turkey is not half as good 

 eating." 



AuDUBOX supposed this to be only the young 

 of the white crane, but he was wrong. The white 

 crane is more of a southern bird, and is exceed- 

 ingly rare here. I saw a flock flying over last 

 fall for the second time. These two species are 

 among the largest of our North American birds. 



Geese abound in countless numbers, to the 

 great disadvantage of farmers generally. 



In regard to snakes, we have a great variety. 

 The ones most prominent with us are the bull snake, 

 blow snake and rattlesnake. The fii'st named is the 

 largest of our prairie snakes, being about five 

 feet long, and the size of a small stake. He is 

 not very venomous ; -when disturbed he utters a 

 low sound resembling the bellowing of a bull ; 

 therefore he is called "bull snake." 



The second, although not differing much in 

 size or appearance, is more to be feared. His 

 mode of defence is by blowing a poisonous breath, 

 which, if inhaled, will cause sickness at the stom- 

 ach. They are often found around buildings. 

 They are great climbers, and sometimes will as- 

 cend a perpendicular wall twice their length. I 

 once saw one seated in front of a dove's cote. He 

 probably did not receive so warm a reception as 

 would have been desirable, for when discovered 

 he was gazing anxiously at some eggs, that the 

 old dove stood guarding with true heroism. 



The rattlesnake's distinguishing feature con- 

 sists of a number of horny segments, ])laced at the 

 end of the tail, and so united that upon their vi- 

 bration the buzzing sound called "rattling" is pro- 

 duced. The number of segments composing the 

 rattle is generally supposed to be an index to the 

 age of the snake. But this is not always so. 



The poison apparatus consists of two fangs for 

 the injection of the virus, and the glands which 

 secrete it from the blood. The fangs are situated 

 upon the upper jaw bone. They are curved and 

 retractile like a cat's claw, (being only erected 

 when the snake strikes,) and are hollow for the 

 passage of the virus. The secreting glands are 

 situated one under each eye, and connected with 

 the hollow fangs by two large ducts. When the 

 snake strikes, the gland is C(>jtnpressed by strong 

 muscles, the virus forced through the duct to the 

 fang, and thence with great power into the wound. 

 The fangs are not permanent, and when shed are 

 replaced by new ones from behind. 



The prairie massasanga, (ratilesnaJce,) so nu- 

 merous in this State, is found eastward to New 

 York, and throughout the western States as far 

 as the Rocky Mountains. In the South it is re- 

 placed by another well known ground rattlesnake. 

 Ours is the one which sometimes lives in the 

 holes of the squirrel, though it is not the only 

 species which forces itself upon the hospitality 

 of that little animal. The prairie massasanga is 

 not often found over two, though I have seen 

 specimens full three feet in length. I have never 

 heard of a single well authenticated instance 



