Bitten by a Rattlesnake^ 



William T. Davis 



In the southeast corner of North CaroHna, at the mouth of 

 the Cape Fear River, is the little town of Southport, The 

 country round about is low and flat and sorne of it is swampy. 

 It is an ideal spot for a naturalist in the pleasant days of spring, 

 and thither Mr. Harry G. Barber and I have twice journeyed in 

 April to meet more quickly the advancing season and to see what 

 insects could be found there. All entomologists inquisitively 

 turn over logs and stones, bits of old boards, and anything else 

 that may shelter insects. Thus it happened that when Mr. Barber 

 and I, on April 20, 191 6, were near a little farm about a mile 

 from Southport, he commenced to examine a loose pile of old 

 bricks that had apparently lain for a considerable time where 

 we found them. This was about 10 a. m., and my companion 

 soon called to me that he had found among the bricks a small 

 snake, which I immediately went to examine. The snake was 

 partly hidden, but from what I could see of it it looked like a 

 little hognosed snake. On account of its small size, I was not 

 as careful as usual and took too great liberties with the little 

 creature, which promptly resented my interference by biting me 

 on the third finger of my left hand, near the base of the nail. 

 It was all done so quickly that Mr. Barber failed to see the 

 snake strike, though he was looking at it at the time. Two tiny 

 drops of blood oozed from the wounds and my finger immediately 

 began to pain me considerably, and in a short time showed 

 some swelling about the wound, and then about the knuckle. 

 Gradually my hand began to swell and the pain in the finger 

 was not quite as/ great as it had been. The snake after biting 

 me, completely disappeared among the bricks, so it was necessary 



^ Presented at the meeting of the Association October 20, 1917. 



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