CREATURES OF MASTERY 
3 
an ideal place of hibernation about stumps for serpents. The 
home of the diamond-back rattler ojf Southern Georgia will 
be more fully described hereinafter. During this period of 
inactivity they eat little. Food is not so essential then. During 
the spring, summer, and fall months they simply do not know 
their own capacity for food. All they want is food, food, and 
more food. Due to a wonderful process of nature they store 
away the excess in the form of fat to be drawn upon during 
the long hard winter destined to follow. Due to the fact that 
they lie in a state of suspended animation during the greater 
portion of the winter months, the demands upon such body 
energy is very slight, their accumulated fat consumes away 
very slowly—they could remain in their winter quarters the 
greater portion of a year without fatal results if such should 
become necessary. Even in such lethargic state they are not 
to be trifled with. They have a decided preference for being 
left strictly alone and be permitted to sleep the winter away, 
but when dug out of their place of hibernation during winter 
months they not infrequently put up a furious battle. 
Now Uncle Dave, as well as all other people who live among 
diamond-backs, knew that they retire from circulation during 
the winter months. Few ever stopped to think, or even cared 
to know, where they go. Men will live on heavily infested 
lands they inherited from their father, who, in turn, inherited 
it from his father, and fear to go in for a campaign of exter¬ 
mination of this dread warrior. They concede to him his right 
to certain areas—they refrain from entering such territory. 
They know by the number of sloughed skins to be found there 
that it is a regular diamond-back camping ground, conse¬ 
quently abandon this portion of their estate, forbidding their 
children to enter these danger zones. It is the custom of this 
unschooled old master of arts to inquire of such places. Of 
every landowner, on whose premises he would like to hunt, he 
asks, “Have you a corner, or hardwood hummock, along the 
river with such a bad name for rattlesnakes that no one will go 
into it?” If the answer is favorable he invariably asks to be 
directed there. He has a reason for wanting to know. It oc¬ 
curred to him that if he could definitely, and with certainty, 
