CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
123 
mal farm year the soil was damp, and thereby unfit for the 
planting of the usual crops. Just the place for a rice patch, he 
reasoned. And why not? Rice grown in other states had, for 
a long time, enjoyed a very profitable market, resulting in this 
particular item on his family budget standing in need of atten¬ 
tion. Even at that, “store-bought” rice was not nearly so tasty 
as the home-grown, or the unglazed variety. So, thought he, 
I’ll shrub this place out and grow my own rice henceforth. 
True enough, there was no rice mill convenient, but he could 
build himself a mortar and pestle and remove the rough cover¬ 
ing of the grain without the necessity of driving long distances 
to mill. His father, having been reared during the Reconstruc- 
1— To the casual observer cattle bones illustrated above mean little. 
To Uncle Dave they betray the presence of an overgrown pair of rattlers, 
particularly whenever they are long distances from the corral. One 
farmer, operating on a very small scale, reported the loss of five cows 
in a single summer, including a valuable milch cow. It pays a wonderful 
dividend to eradicate them when one’s premises is thus infested. 
It is more or less of a mystery why the rattler bites more cows than 
any other animal at large. While the odor of cattle may be objectionable 
to them, they have been observed fleeing from the path of cattle, lest 
they be trampled to death by their sharp hoofs. 
2— On another fine spring day his sons prevailed upon him to go with 
them to the woodland for a walk. Soon his unusually keen sense of smell 
detected an odor perfectly familiar to him, but which surprisingly few 
people could identify. Calling the boys to a halt that he might do some 
looking about he located the angered diamond-back by the stifling musk 
arising from the reptile—he was standing astride him. Safely disposing 
of the little fellow by his side he got into reverse and backed safely away 
from the menace. Soon the “All-Clear Signal” was sounded and they 
were off again on their mission. 
3, 4—It is interesting to note that when a rattler coils solely for repose, 
he keeps both head and rattles side by side, and in the center of the coil— 
he employs both eyes and rattles in his art of fascination, since they 
appear to be more effective when used in conjunction with each other. 
When he is preparing for an attack he keeps his head near the center of 
a rather' irregular coil, throwing his tail forward toward the object of 
his wrath. He has a-definite purpose in doing this. He can, if necessary, 
leap over the point of his tail, thus doubling his length. Beware when 
they assume such a posture. 
5, 6—When removed from his place of hiding and deposited upon 
ground selected by man his presence is readily revealed, proving that 
this wily reptile is endowed with a more dependable sense of colors than 
man. When deposited upon snow-white sand his color and form stand 
out in detail. 
7 —Take note of the large rattler held in an upright position. He is 
an aristocrat among rattlers, being the true diamond-back, and is be¬ 
coming almost extinct. Uncle Dave calls him a “sport model.” 
The others of the group, being of a darker hue, are called swamp 
rattlers. 
