1186 General Notes. [ November, 
PRAIRIE RATTLESNAKE.—Since September last I have hada 
prairie rattlesnake (Caudisona tergemina) in confinement. Two 
points have interested me in his history. So far as I know he 
has not eaten anything since his capture. In May last he shed 
his skin without a break in it. On the 2d instant he repeated the 
operation. Is this common among the snakes? I had supposed 
that generally the skin was changed but once a year. He has 
seven rattles, 
P, S—The rattlesnake referred to has at last taken food. For 
two or three months after his capture in September last, we tried 
him with frogs, toads, mice, &c., but he would not touch them. 
Occasionally some small animal has since been introduced into 
the cage. Finally on the 6th instant (Aug.) an English sparrow 
was put into the cage, and in a very short time it was illed 
eaten. To fully swallow the bird occupied about thirty minutes. 
—E, A. Gastman, Decatur, Ti. 
SHORT-FARED Owr.—The following, which is decidedly = 
most interesting information so far placed on record, was + 
nished by Mr. H. A. Kline at our request, after purchasing from 
him a set of eight eggs. Mr. Kline makes no vague gre 
but gives us interesting facts as he observed them, an in 
the spring of 1880 
ago swamps of Il- 
‘linois. As I was tramping through the dry grass along the edge 
which proved to be a male in fine plumage. I afterwar 
of several being killed in the same locality. one 
very common in Johnson and Gage counties, Nebra of 
occasion while out shooting prairie chickens in the a 
’81~’82 I noticed one of these birds rise from the grass p to the 
yards in front of me. A load of shot soon brought ‘from the 
ground, when at the report of the gun four others rose ey were 
me, but they 
all very shy and kept well out of range. 
to leave the place, as I found them in the same loc ao ih 
for a fortnight. They were very wild, but I succee’™ gs were 
two more good specimens. The site where t ese cg heavy 
killed, was along an old ravine, which was covered W! the mark- 
place after securing the three, as I thought they about ater 
there, and I often noticed four or five of them fying mnor 
sundown in search of mice, etc. They appeared to a 
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