THE RATTLESNAKE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VII, Issue 352, 16 January 1880, Page 17

THE RATTLESNAKE.

It has been observed by some naturalists that if we withhold water from snakes when about to shed their epidermis, they are thereby prevented from divesting themselves entirely of the old skin. I always kept a small bird's bathing cup, filled with clean water once a day, in a case containing mv crotalus. The first skin he cast off in July was entire and without a blemish. At the second change, however, about the last of September, I removed the cup one night, intending to replace it shortly afterwards, but I forgot to do so. The next morning I found portions of the skin all over the floor of the case and much more hanging in shreds from various parts of the body of the snake. Other parts seemed not to be detached yet, I had not supposed the ophidian was quite ready for a change. He was over two months in divesting himself of his torn trousers. Was it due to the fact that water had been withheld at the last time? Both changes occurred in the night, and I failed to observe the interesting process of divestment. To test the question of so-called blindness occurring while the pupil is covered with a whitish film or thin membrane becoming detached, and occluding the sight of the eye, I placed some very active mice repeatedly in the case during the period of change of epidermis. The ophidian attacked the mice in quick turn, without ever missing his first victim. On other occasions, however, when his sight was unobstructed, I have seen him strike at and miss the mark repeatedly. After making a few hisses he would then strike about with intensified fury. The snake never ate without first striking his victim. He did not eat more than two mice at a meal, and sometimes an hour elapsed before eating the second one. He never killed his prey wantonly ; on the contrary, he permitted mice to keep his company so long as his appetite was appeased. — Exchange.