14 Scientific Society of San Antonio. 



is not an oviparous reptile, but tbat it breeds its young alive into 

 the world, and that this has been observed by Prof. Jenny at 

 our San Pedro Springs Museum of Natural History and Zo- 

 ological Garden; and, in order to verify my statements more 

 explicitly regarding the protection of the young tribe, I an- 

 swered Prof. Leighton that a trustworthy friend, Mr. E. Raba, 

 of San Antonio, during a hunting trip along our romantic San 

 Antonio River, near one of the old Spanish missions, came 

 across a pair of large moccasin snakes. These snakes, as is 

 well known, give no danger warning like the rattlesnake; they 

 lay seemingly dormant, coiled up near the water's edge in 

 some depression of the ground or weedy place, and the unwary 

 pedestrian is very likely to step on one of these reptiles and get 

 bitten. Mr. Raba quickly killed one of the snakes, and noticed 

 to his surprise that numerous small snakes crawled into the 

 mouth of the other snake. After killing this one, for mere 

 curiosity's sake, he opened the now swollen snake's body with a 

 pocket knife and removed eighteen young moccasins 

 from the mother's throat, each measuring about 8 inches. In 

 regard to our Texas rattlesnake, I answered Prof. Leigh- 

 ton's letter with the following now historic event of my old 

 friend, John Wickeland, of the Martinez settlement, some twelve 

 miles east of San Antonio, which event is, of course, absolutely 

 trustworthy, as Mr. Wickeland (a wealthy stockman and farm- 

 er ) is one of the best known gentlemen in Bexar county. Mr. 

 Wickeland wrote to me as follows : 



"Answering your letter, I can state these facts : Some fifteen 

 (now eighteen) years ago, while driving cattle with my Ger- 

 man neighbor, Mr. Alf Real, we stopped at a hilly region to 

 put up our camp and prepare, dinner. Whilst I was engagec 

 in gathering kindling to start a fire, I noticed how a number of 

 small snakes suddenly disappeared under a pile of dry brush 

 and leaves. At the same time I heard the warning rattle of a 

 rattlesnake. We set the brush and leaves on fire and awaited 

 further developments. It was but a short while till two large 

 rattlesnakes came out rattling, and Mr. Real killed one of them 

 and myself the other one. Ultimately a third rattler made its 

 appearance, which we also killed. All three snakes were not 

 very long but of unusual thickness, and for this reason I con- 

 cluded to cut them open. During this procedure we found that 

 the first rattler harbored eighteen, the second one eight, and 

 the third one twenty-two young - rattlesnakes, all of the same 



