146 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENOES. 



a few feet off in an open place 

 between cactus jungles, a monster 

 rattlesnake met the doctor's eyes. 

 It was fully stretched out and rat- 

 tling fiercely, and in its wide open 

 mouth it had a large full-grown 



by the reptile dealer, at Mr. 

 Learn's reptile establishment, 

 the abdomen contained two large 

 prairie rats. Dr. Withers had the 

 unusual fine skin tanned and pre- 

 serves it until thLs day as a trophy 



A Monster Rattlesnake in Act op Devouring a Large Cotton-Tail Rabbit 



cotton-tail rabbit, swallowed up 

 to the rabbit's shoulder. A shot 

 from our guns ,at close range, 

 put an end to his majesty of the 

 cactus plains. The snake was very 

 thick and beautifully striped, and 

 on dissecting it the next day 



of that day's hunting trip. (This 

 same identical reptile with its vic- 

 tim is seen photo-reproduced , here- 

 in, the photo being taken by a 

 friend and in presence of Dr. With- 

 ers and myself. 



Reminiscence of a Rattlesnake Encounter in the 

 Cactus Jungle of Leona Hills 



Much has been printed already 

 concerning our native reptiles, es- 

 pecially the water snakes and our 

 land serpents, all of which are 

 rapidly nearing their extinction 

 around inhabited regions, and T 

 therefore will try Lo be brief in 

 narrating one more interesting en- 

 counter with a rattler many years 

 ago at the Leona hills, west of 

 San Antonio, and of which a life- 

 like reproduction is seen on this 

 page. 



We were hunting quail and 

 doves one bright summer day, in 

 1886, close to one of the large 

 tanks at the old Wither's ranch, 

 when, amongst a thicket of the 

 broadleafed opuntia cactus, alarge 

 rattlesnake was noticed sunning 

 itself in an open space and close to 

 the cacti and a piled-up prairie- 



rat nest. It happened after a 

 rainy day, and the snake, in a 

 coiled up position, with erect tail 

 and rattling fiercely, . beautifully 

 striped, and belonging to the dia- 

 mond type of rattlesnake, evident- 

 ly had shed its old hide a short 

 time previous, as the hardly dried 

 and shriveled skin was found close 

 by, entangled in some underbrush, 

 and partly inside a large rathole. 

 A quick shot made an end of its 

 majesty of the cactus plains, and. 

 having a camera with us, a lifelike 

 view was taken, by the writer, of 

 the snake and its haunts, as seen 

 herein. 



I also apnend herein an extra 

 magnified vic'v of the above 

 snake's eye-ball and part of the 

 scaly head and neck. As seen on 

 the photograph, the eyeball is pro- 



