June 39, 1893.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



661 



down stern foremost until finally we came to the bluff bank 

 of what we supposed was our creek. It was steep, but at 

 last finding a place that was less so, we got out and un- 

 dertook to lead the horse down attached to the wagon. 

 We got along pretty well by one leading the horse and the 

 other holding the wagon: but presently we came to a 

 steep pitch, and what with the wagon pushing old Joe, 

 the horse, and his inability to hold it and himself too, the 

 crisis came, and horse, wagon and our two selves were 

 launched down the declivity with a rush, landing in the 

 creek bottom up. The creek was not deep, but what it 

 lacked in depth it made up in frigidity. It was cold, and 

 we were soused under. The old horse, a sensible old fel- 

 low, lay on his side and made no effort or struggle, and 

 we soon righted him and the wagon, and gathering up 

 our floating traps scaled the opposite bank to find before 

 us a cosy little cottage, built of a few rough boards, and 

 thatched and interlaced with pine boughs. It was a little 

 oasis in a beautiful grove. A man appeared who proved to 

 be a Frenchman and the proprietor, who helped to un- 

 harness the horse and put him in an apology for a stable 

 and then carried our traps into the house. 



Our first inquiry was, Avhether there were fish in the 

 stream, and being answered in the afiirmative we at 

 once rigged up our rods regardless of being soaking wet — 

 we were in good condition for wading. Fish? Well I 

 should say so. We came in at sundown, with our baskets 

 as full as we were empty, and hungry as bears. The fish 

 were dressed , and then came the question of supper. Did 

 our host know how to cook fish? He thought so. My 

 friend prided himself on his abilities as cook, and pro- 

 posed cooking them, but I protested. I said, "this man is a 

 Frenchman, and did you ever know one that could not 

 cook?'' While the man was cooking the fish indoors, we 

 built a fire outside and managed to partially dry ourselves 

 until called to supper, and to our surprise"^ found a little 

 table set out with a snowy table cover, napkins, and a 

 bottle of claret — all in first-class restaurant style, and a 

 big platter piled up with smoking hot trout. At the first 

 taste of them I said, ' 'By Jingo, Ned, we have struck a cook." 

 How many trout we ate I never knew, and would be 

 ashamed to tell, and when we wound up with a cup of 

 superb black coffee, we lay back with a sigh of repletion 

 and contentment. I said,' "This man has missed his call- 

 ing;'' and turning to him I remarked, "My friend, you 

 ought to go to New York and hire out to Delmonico; 

 have you ever heard of Delmonico?" There was a 

 twinkle in the fellow's eyes as he replied: "Oh, yes, I hear 

 of him — I chief cook for him ten years, and left ze place 

 last year to come to California." "WasT dumfounded? I 

 rather think so, and that scamp of a Ned laughed imtilhe 

 fell off his stool and rolled on the dirt fioor of the cabin 

 until I kicked him into an upright position. It was a 

 stunner, to find way off in the wilds, twenty miles from 

 any human habitation, in this nide shanty, probably the 

 best cook Delmonico ever had, judging from our experi- 

 ence; a man who at that time could have earned a salary 

 of |500 a month, cooking for a restaurant or hotel in 

 town. 



We stayed two days with Monsieur and ate trout until 

 we could have built a monument with their back bones. 

 And such fishing! a creek that probobly had never been 

 fished, for fisherjueii were rare in those early days in 

 California, and the stream was unknown. You may rest 

 assured we took pains never to allude to it, but our friends 

 wondered where we found such splendid trout as we sent 

 them with our compliments. Alas! that beautiful stream 

 has been grabbed up and turned into a feeder to the Spring 

 A^'alley Water Company's big reservoir; and my old-time 

 friend Ned has long ago gone over the divide. 



The memory of that big, handsome Frenchman tempers 

 my prejudice against Delmonico's poulet de veau salads. 

 I forgive the veal, in consideration of his having once had 

 such a treasure of a cook in his employ. Podgjsrs. 



SPITTING SNAKES.— I. 



Thk correspondence on "spitting" snakes which has 

 appeared in Forest aud Stream during the past year has 

 greatly interested me, for it is a subject that frequently 

 came under my notice during mj stay in South Africa, . 

 and one ui^on which I am still seeking evidence from my 

 most trustworthy correspondents there. I may claim, 

 therefore, theijrivilege of joining in the pros and cons and 

 entering, even at this date, more fully into the subject 

 than space permitted in my paper from Cape Colony 

 exactly a year ago on "Some of the South African Reptiles 

 at Home," which together with a statement of Prof. 

 Cope, seems to have given rise to the controversy. It 

 was a coincidence that Cope's description, which chal- 

 lenged such hostile criticism, should have appeared in the 

 same issue as my paper (May 26) and that while his ac- 

 count of venom expelled was interpreted "spitting," a 

 word which by the way he did not use— I actually did 

 call tlie action "spitting." "They (rattlesnakes) throw 

 their body into a coil, giving a sigmoid flexure of the an- 

 terior part of the body, on which the head is poised. 

 They open the mouth ready for action. At this time 

 drops of the poisonous saliva fall from the fangs, and by 

 a violent expulsion of air from the lungs are thrown on 

 the enemy." This description in a scientific publication 

 for scientific readers deals Avith the general but not the 

 invariable action, or we may say process of the snake in 

 striliing, the writer probably not thinking it necessary to 

 add what most Americans who have observed at all know 

 so well, namely, that the whole proceeding is instantane- 

 ous. Therefore one o£ the critics assumes that the Cro- 

 tulHS is said to wait all day with its mouth open; another 

 takes for granted that "spitting" was imphed, and a third 

 proceeds to relate a number of interesting incidents not 

 in any way to the point in question. IMost of us in read- 

 ing the fines quoted would go to our Webster's to ascer- 

 tain the precise curve of the "sigmoid flexure," an ana- 

 tomical term which weU describes the most frequent at- 

 titude -of a snake in readiness to strike, but which in 

 popular language might be caUed the curve of the letter 

 S; in other words the snake makes sure of having ]3lenty^ 

 of rope at its command, or enough of itself free from coils 

 to be easily extended. Dr. Morris Gibbs in Forest and 

 STKEAjii of July 31, explains clearly that if a snake is 

 closely coiled, its head could not be easily thrust forward; 

 but the actions of this usually sluggish reptile are on an 

 emergency so rapid that the most attentive observer can 



barely follow them. For ten years (while preparing my 

 work on "Snakes") I most carefully watched them on the 

 feeding days. Often I saw that a rattlesnake appeared 

 to be oblivious of and totally indifferent to the food in the 

 cage. It might be a rat or a guinea-pig moving about 

 and running over it, till suddenly one saw the snake's 

 head dashed forward, and only knew by the prey stagger- 

 ing that it had been struck. The open mouth, the erected 

 fangs, the abundant saliva dribbling from them were un- 

 detected, imperceptible on account of the rapidity of the 

 stroke; and yet we know that in that lightning-fike dash 

 the mouth was opened, the fangs brought down and 

 folded back again, as the snake resumed its position as if 

 nothing had happened. 



The more I study and observe the Ophidia the more I 

 become convinced that concerning their actions one can 

 assert nothing positively. That is, that "they uivariably 

 coil before striking," or that they "always" do so and so. 

 They do not invariably coil before striking. A snake may 

 be crawling when a tempting meal comes within range'. 

 Does it stop to put itself into position while the animal 

 passes on beyond reach? No; instantly it strikes. I have 

 seen snakes strike while in all sorts of positions and atti- 

 tudes, and even spring forward when occasion requires. 

 There are on record numerous cases when a snake maybe 

 said to leap or spring upon its prey or upon a foe. And 

 by pressure of the tail on the point of ground on which 

 it rests it can spring further than the extent of its cods. 

 Owen, in his "Anatomy of the Vertebrates," calls this a 

 saltatory motion. P. H. Gosse affirms that the yellow 

 boa of Jamaica rears itself up and covers an "incredible 

 distance" — many feet — in such a spring. True, he was 

 describing an active snake, Chilobothros inornafus, but 

 even the sluggish vipers when angry extend themselves 

 with a rapid spring, and upward, too, on occasion. "Ex- 

 cept flying, there is no limit to their locomotion," says 

 Huxley; nevertheless when springing from a tree or swing- 

 ing from branch to branch it is very like flying; for in- 

 stance, the jaculus or "flying serpent" of classic days. 

 Catlin described a rattlesnake suddenly springing to his 

 chest, and in Natal I heard of the dangerous Mainha (one 

 of the cobra tribe) springing and wounding a gentleman 

 in the leg while on horseback. Therefore, with aU due 

 deference to your correspondents who describe only the 

 "sluggishness" of rattlesnakes, I think I may positively 

 alfirm that they can be active under provocation. 



But I wander from the point in question, which is "spit- 

 ting." The expression, from want of a better, is generaUj^ 

 used, as "sucking" has been used when snakes rob cows of 

 their milk. Both actions are muscular and performed by 

 tongue, teeth and lips in conjunction, and are, therefore, 

 as we understand spitting and sucking, both impossible in 

 a snake. One of your correspondents on this point speaks 

 of a snake being too sensible to waste its ammunition, i. e., 

 venom; but a snake can no more control the excitement 

 or stimulus of its salivary apparatus than we ourselves 

 can; and we all know how susceptible are our salivary 

 glands to nervous excitement or agitation. Our mouth 

 "waters" or is parched with sudden emotion, and as a ser- 

 pent's poison gland is only a modification of the salivary 

 glands, it is excited in the same manner. What is aU that 

 lubrication of food, which formerly gave rise to the idea 

 that serjjents "lick" their prey over before swallowing it, 

 but the abundant saUva that faUs over the otherwise un- 

 manageable coat of fur or feathers, and assists the swal- 

 lowing process. Mitchell, Fayrer and all our best authori- 

 ties on the Ophidia have observed and recorded the abund- 

 ance of venom in a snake with a full gland, and that it is 

 seen to ooze or dribble from the fang in a time of excite- 

 ment. "When the poison gland is fuU and the snake 

 angry you may see the venom exuding from the point of 

 the fang, and by afoi-cible expiration the reptile can eject 

 it." I observed this in the Indian viper i^c/iis earma to, 

 and also in the Cerastes. ' 'Both of these if angry wiU 

 strike at you with a sound which may be compared with 

 a sneeze or a spit. * * * They may almost be said to 

 'spit' at you, though literaUy it is their mouth watering 

 with poison and the sudden dash which causes it." I am 

 quoting now from the chapter on "Dentition" in my work 

 on "Snakes," because at that time I took carefxfi notes of 

 all I saw when attentively observing the Ophidia. This 

 action has given rise to the idea of "spitting" snakes, or 

 that an angry viper will "spout poison at you." "The 

 force of ejection may be seen when a serpent striking 

 violently misses its aim, and the stream has been seen to 

 spurt five or six feet, A blow given in anger is always ac- 

 companied by a spurt of venom, even if the fangs fail to 

 engage." These are, I think, Fayrers words, but I have 

 seen the same in the cobras at the Eeptfiium, which, 

 under provocation, even from the furthest corner of their 

 cage, make a dash at you, and the escaping venom rests 

 on the glass, where in due time it ciystallizes. 



One word regarding the quantity of venom spent at 

 one stroke, as one of your correspondents doubts the pos- 

 sibility of a teaspoonful. Well, teaspoons vaiy greatly in 

 size; but Dr. Weir Mitchell himself affirms that an angry 

 Crotahis once "threw a teaspoonful and more athwart my 

 forehead." (See his article on "The Poison of Serpents" 

 in the Century Magazine, for August, 1889). He also 

 confirms my own observations that a snake can turn and 

 strike in any postm-e. 



When I was last in Philadelphia several of Dr. Mitchell's 

 rattlesnakes were dei^osited in the Zoological Gardens 

 there, and the keeper, Mi-. Thompson, allowed me to see 

 him procure venom (wanted for experimental purposes) 

 from one of the largest of the snakes. The process was 

 as described in the Century above quoted; only that in- 

 stead of a saucer a China spoon of ordinary size was 

 used. The venom from one snake fiUed this' spoon. It 

 was pale, ahuost colorless. One of the spoonfuls poured 

 into a bottle he gave to me. When cold it solidified and 

 was, and is stfil, of a bright amber color, but then became 

 exceedingly brittle and broke up readily into crystals. 



Next week I will relate my more recently acquired 

 knowledge of the so-called "spitting snake" of South 

 Africa, the one which is the primary caxise of all these 

 arguments. But my readere wiU kindly understand that 

 whfie using the word "spitting," I agree with Dr. Morris 

 Gibbs that snakes "could not spit if they would," as their 

 anatomy does not permit the action. 



Paignton, Devonshire, May 26. CATHERINE C. HOPLEY. 



More Bestfiil than a Nap at Nooning'. 



I AM a farmer, and am of course much in the open air, but I think I 

 enjoy your paper as much if not more than as If I put in my time at a 

 city desli. I always take up the Forest and Stream during my noon- 

 ing instead of enjoying a nap, as I tWuk it rests me more. S. S. K, 



"A Battle with Snakes." 



Do I dream ! Do I doubt ! 



Are things what they seem, 



Or is visions about? — Truthful James. 



The once dignified and truthful New York Tribune in 

 its issue of Sunday, June 18, gives its "numersome" 

 readers a rattlesnake yarn that has settled the long vexed 

 question as to whether hair can be straightened out by 

 fright, for even the negroes here who have read the story 

 are going about the streets with their hair standing up 

 fike bristles on the fretful razor-back, and many are going 

 to seU out and go to Ireland. I inclose the clipping to 

 paste in your hat for future reference. It was sent to the 

 Tribune as a "special" from St. Augustine, and the 

 Augustinians are anxious to know the fellows who fought 

 the battle, for they want to employ them to do for 

 Florida what St. Patrick did for Ireland. I have hunted 

 through the Florida woods for years, and have seen but a 

 single rattler, and many others say the same, yet these 

 two magnetic heroes could attract and slaughter them by 

 the thousand. "The hair on both men's heads stood up 

 like bristles — " there! I told you so! — "while their arms 

 were blood-stained to the elbows, and within three hours 

 hundreds, if not thousands, had been killed." 



"They were badly bitten," but being protected by the 

 gods, or a whisky bottle, they didn't mind a little thing 

 like that, though a scratch by a rattler is ahnost certain 

 death to an ordinary^ man. Now, wiU the brilfiant author 

 of the narrative tell us where he gets his whisky. I want 

 to know, you know, so that I can take a drink to brighten 

 my imagination when I write to Forest and Stream. 



DiDYMUS. 



From the JSeiv York Tribune, June 18. 



A BATTLE WITH SNAKES— HORRORS OF A NIGHT IN A SOXTTEKKN WILDER- 

 NESS. 



St. AuGrsTiNB, Fla., June 17 (Special).— Fishing and hunting are 

 recognized as Florida's favorite pastimes. Daily parties leave for the 

 interior for such sport. Among the many experiences which have 

 been uiet with recently none excels the horrible ordeal which two men 

 from the North went through a few days ago. The two left town on 

 a fishing tour to go about 60 miles from here. All along the stream is 

 a barren wilderness of scrubby undergrowth, boulders, rocks and 

 stones. Being tired and sore-footed after their day's journey, the 

 men made themselves comfortable on the surface of a 'moss-grown 

 rock. After a hearty meal they both fell asleep. One was shortly 

 afterward awakened by something choking him, and feeling foiind his 

 strange coUar to be cold and slimy. It was a very fine specimen of 

 the snake species which was girdling his thi-ottle. The monster was 

 soon dispatched, and the two men were about to lie down again, after 

 ridding themselves of the intruder, when they found themselves lit- 

 erally surrounded by the reptiles. They were going to decamp for a 

 more congenial climate, but when about to leave the rock, hipsing and 

 rattling became more audible, and it was but a few minutes until it 

 was as loud as ordinary-toned voices. The men finding that they 

 were surrounded, broke branches from the stubby undergrowth of 

 pines and commenced lashing the writhing sea of darting, hissing 

 snakes. Kealizing that they had an all night job, they secured rocks 

 and larger sticks and began killing the reptiles in earnest. The noise 

 seemed to awaken the whole barren waste into a hissing and rattling 

 forest. 



Each man began the slaughter with redoubled vigor, vainly trying 

 to fight their way to the stream, some hundred yards away down a 

 hill. They would gain a few paces of the distance, only to be driven 

 back again to the rock. The rattling and hissing became so loud that 

 theh- voices became scarcely audible unless close together. The hair 

 on both men's heads stood up like bristles, while their arms were 

 bloodstained to the elbows. The stench from the snaky battlefield 

 was almost unbearable and sickening in the extreme. Within three 

 hours after the first snake had been killed hundreds, if not thousands, 

 had met a similar fate. Both men were badly bitten and their legs 

 and arms began swelling rapidly. The hours wore slowly by and 

 the slaughter continued. At last morning came and hf ted the curtain 

 of night from a most appalling scene. 



For fifty feet all around the large rock lay a heap of stunned, 

 squirming and dead snakes, and as far as they could see all around 

 the barren waste was a seething tide of reptiles that came toward 

 the rock with maddening fury. With difficulty they managed to reach 

 the river and soon arrived at a cabin where medical attendance was 

 given. The hair on both men's heads had turned almost white during 

 the night and it will be weeks before they can fully recover from the 

 effects of this fearful encounter. 



Hawk Migration. 



Baldwinville, Mass, — I note in your issue of June 15 

 a note on hawk migration by KarlV. S. Howland. We 

 observed about the same lieavy flight here. The advance 

 flock passed through northern Massachusetts the latter 

 part of March, and on March 28 the largest flock ever 

 seen in this locality commenced to fly about 10 o'clock in 

 the morning, and at 3 o'clock P. M. had not all got past. 

 At one time we counted fourteen osprey fishing at once 

 on a small jDond not over sixteen acres large. In the 

 week commencing March 27 the writer shot seven osprey 

 from one blind, one of which measured 5ft. Sin. from tip 

 to tip. 



Can some brother sportsman tell me what caused such 

 an extraordinary flight of ospreys? We generally see 

 from six to ten every season, but never before have they 

 passed here on their way north in such numbers. 



NiMS. 



I see in your issue of Jime 15 an item on hawk migra- 

 tion. In those few fines it is recorded that thirty-seven 

 hawks were shot in one day from three blinds. It is also 

 stated that most of the slaughtered birds were broadwings 

 and sharp-shinned. Now, as very few species of hawks 

 are harmf ifi to any great extent, it is hard to comprehend 

 what object those gunners could have had in destroying 

 those thirty -seven birds. It is true that the sharp-shinned 

 hawk is destructive of numbers of wild and domesticated 

 birds, but the broadwtng is not gufity of the same crime. 



Therefore I do not befieve that those men on Orange 

 Mountain took any notice of the economic value of the 

 birds. In fact the ordinary sportsman does not know a 

 shai-p-shinned hawk from a peregrine falcon, or a marsh 

 hawk from a hawk owl. Years ago it was the custom to 

 offer bounties on the heads of hawks and owls, but now 

 such a foolish and murderous law has almost entirely dis- 

 appeared. Not longer ago than the last legislative session 

 in this State an attempt was made to pass a biU giving a 

 reward on the heads of hawks, etc. It was killed — 

 laughed into ridicule — by one of the ablest men of the 

 Granite State. A. W. F. 



Bonaparte's Gull at the Fair. 



One of the striking sights of the great Fair from April 

 15 up to May 5 was the abundance of black-headed gtiUs, 

 which occupied the main lagoon between the Fair brdld- 

 ings in large numbers. -Some persons supposed that these 

 birds were there to feed upon the small lake herring 

 driven in by storms from, off Lake Michigan, but Mr. 

 Ridgway, of the XJ. S. National Museum, thinks they were 

 merely feeding upon minnows and other small fish. It 

 occurs to us that they were there to see the World's Fair. 

 At any rate they were right into the midst of things on 

 opening day. BABTj 



