Rensselaer Republican, Volume 15, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1883 — NATURAL HISTORY. [ARTICLE]

NATURAL HISTORY.

The canvas-back duck is domesticating itself in the inland lakes of lowa, and becoming quite plenty. A pelican was killed near Batesville. Miss., which measured eight feet eight inches from tip to tip of wing As a careless New Haven horse was going up to the watering-trough he stepped on a setter-dog’s tail as that animal was enjoying a snooze. The dog jumped up with a howl and sprang into the basin, just as the thirsty horse stuck his heated nostrils into the water, and floundered about so that the equine could not drink. The dog stopped three times, just long enough to let him try to drink, but each time shut him off by floundering about The horse gave it up la disgust and the dog hopped out, seemingly satisfied with his revenge. Rome Sentinel: Henry Fish, of Lee Center, who has lately come from Lone Rock, Wia. says: “Andrew Harter, of Lone Rock, went out on a rocky part of his farm one day last spring, and, while looking around, saw the headi of a rattlesnake protruding from a crevice in the rock. Taking in the general surroundings, he concluded that it must be a regular den of rattlesnakes, so he built a pen about ten feet square and three feet high about the place and awaited result*. The pen was watched, and with a wire snare something like a fish snare seventy-nine snakes, varying in length from 18 inches to feet, were, during 'the summer, landed in a barrel placed inside the inclosure. Four of the largest were placed in the barrel on Decoration Day, and In November they were still alive As they had been placed in the barrel as soon as they left their winter quarters, they had lived a whole year without anything to eat. As the snakes had not thawea out this spring when Mr. Fish left it was not known whether they were still alive or not*