Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1896 — VENOMOUS PESTS. [ARTICLE]

VENOMOUS PESTS.

INSECTS AND REPTILES INFEST THE LONE STAR STATEA whole Family Killed by a Centipede that Fell In a Coffee Pot—Fight Between a Blacktnake and a Rattler—Red Ants, Screw Worms, and Horned Frogs. “I spent a number of years in Texas, and while there learned much of interest In regard to the poisonous reptiles and insects of that state,” said on old gentleman to a New York Sun reporter a few days ago. "The centipede,” continued he, “which Is common to that state, Is certulnly the most dangerous insert to be found in any country. While other objectionable Insects of its class are off attending to their own altars It is crawling around your house trying to get In. You are Just as liable to find it in your bod on retlrlug as anywhere else. It is a small brown insect from an lucli and a half to three inches long and resembles what is called in this state a thousand-legged worm. It Is provided with übout twenty legs on each side, every one of which Is surcharged with a poisonous fluid. It Is said that it will crawl all over a human body and crawl off without doing any harm If not disturbed, but the instant there Is the least agitation of the surface It will bury Its feet in the flesh nnd death will be the result. But there Is not a man living that could lie still and let this venomous Insect explore his anatomy. The sting of the centipede is very deadly. The Instant the lancets of the feet enter the body the flesh is killed clear to the bone and turns perfectly black. The poison contained In the centipede's body can be conveyed to the human system in other ways than through tln* Insect’s feet. Once two hunters wore crossing the Brazos river bottom when their attention was attracted by the walling of n child. They followed the sound and presently came upon a little emigrant’s camp. The only living creature to bo seen was an Infant scarcely two months old. Lying about on the ground were the father, mother, and three children, all dead. The hunters looked around for the cause of death, but no evidence of violence could be found. Presently they looked Into the coffee pot and found the remains of a centipede. The Insect had crawled lute the coffee pot. during the night and hud been boiled with the coffee next morning. Happily this Insect Is getting scarce In Texas, and It is only at rare Intervals that any one Is stung by one of them. "I had the good fortune once to see an exciting combat between a large rattler nnd an immense blaeksnake. The latter Is a perfectly harmless reptile as regards the human race, but he seems to have declared war on all Ills species. He puts In a large portion of his time trying to kill all the other snakes, which may justly be regarded as a commendable virtue. The blncksiinko Is a deadly foe, and, game nnd poisonous ns the rattler is, the latter doesn’t want any business with him If he can help it. With several others I was out hunting one day, when I ran upon a big rattler out In a little clearing. Hu was already colled ready to strike, and swaying his head to and fro while he emitted that discordant hissing sound that makes your flesh creep. I thought that I was the object of Ids wrath, and quickly brought, my gun Into posit inn to shoot its head off. But my attention was suddenly attracted to n long, black object, gliding from the brush on the opposite side of the clearing. I Instantly took In the situation and stopped to see the fun. The blaeksnake glided around the rattler, keeping at a safe distance, while the latter wiih spending Ids strength striking at the empty air. They kept this up for almost half an hour, when I per* ceived the rattler was growing weak. The other snake saw It, too, and began gradually to draw in the line of Ills circle around the rattler. Pointer and fainter grew the strokes of the latter, when, quick us a Hash of lightning, the blaeksnake darted upon its enemy, coiling its long sinuous body around It near the head. Then the struggle began In earnest, nud over and over they rolled upon the ground, the rattler vainly trying to get Into a position to strike Its antagonist. It was only a question of a little while when the contest was over, and the rattler lay limp and almost lifeless In the colls of the king snake. For some time the black snake held the rattler to make sure of his work, nnd, then giving It a parting squeeze, uncoiled itself and gracefully glided Into the bushes.”

“Nearly everybody has heard of the tarantula. It Is a very unobtrusive Insect, keeping dose to Its nest, and Is disposed to conceal itself when a man approaches. The tarantula is nothing more ihan a great big spider, whose body is full of poison. I have seen persons who have been bitten by one, but prompt remedies were applied and the effects of the poison neutralized before it mixed with the blood. It Is currently believed, however, that the bite will prove fatal unless antidotes are used in a reasonable time, and even then it makes the victim so sick that he thinks he is going to die. “The big red ant, a very harmless insect In this latitude, is a terrible pest In Texas. They live in great armies, and when they take up their residence in a place it is well nigh impossible to dislodge them. The ant mound is a familiar object in the sandy portion of Texas. Inch by inch the industrious little ant burrows into the earth, bringing out the soil, grain by grain, and depositing it on the outside, until a mound Is erected, frequently extending three or four feet above the surrounding surface. On the summit Is the entrance from which the paths radiate in every direction and extend nobody knows where. Around the entrance, hurrying to and fro, can be seen at any time countless numbers of these little busylrodies, scurrying here and there, as if important measures depended on their haste. A favorite place for the ants to make their beds is the yard. Just where they are the greatest nuisance. No vegetation will grow near their beds, ns they are pretty active foragers, and get about every green plant or shrub within a reasonable distance. The sting of the red ant Is very severe. Their beds being Close to residences, small children frequently get into them. In less than a minute a hundred ants will cover a child’s body, and the combined effect of so

many stings frequently throws the little victim into a spasm that sometime* causes death. "A funny little reptile out there is the stinging lizard. Its sting is right on the end of Its tall, but It doesn’t make any difference where you touch it. the sting will be right there. It bends Its Issly right in the middle, so that Its tail lies right along Its back, with the end extending just beyond it* bead. This is the position it is alwaysseen in when found In a rotten stump anti under the decayed bark of logs. Their sting Is not dangerous, but It 1* very Irritating and will give intense pain for a time.—Cincinnati Enquirer.