294 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 



the above mentioned design work, 

 and he has received another ship- 

 ment lately from a ranch near the 

 Mexican border, numbering 18,460 

 rattles, which came in two boxes, 

 and would, Mr. Frederich says, 

 have filled a small flour barrel. 

 The rattles are to be used for fur- 

 ther ornamental purposes, on the 

 same lines as the others. 



These two orders of rattlesnake 

 rattles from one firm alone, repre- 

 sents a total of thirty-two thou- 

 sand four hundred and sixty rat- 

 tlesnakes annihilated throughout 

 Texas in the past ten or more 

 years, — no wonder the reptile 

 pest is nowadays a matter of his- 



tory, in the immense territory of 

 Texas ! 



Just think of it: 32460 rattle- 

 snakes killed — which would figu- 

 ratively, represent about ninety 

 thousand pounds of snake — 

 or three carloads; or, put- 

 ting each snake at an average of 

 three feet, this would make a 

 string of snakes reaching from 

 San Antonio to the Helotes, or 

 about eighteen miles long! No 

 wonder these and other reptiles, 

 are about "played out," in Texas, 

 and such few as are left in the 

 jungles are quickly annihilated 

 wherever encountered. That's a 

 fact! 



A Rare and Beautiful Deer Design (Original on Stained Glass, in Natural Colors, on 

 A Large Window-Pane,) Photo Reproduced by the Writer With Transmitted Sunlight 



