Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 135
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TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 135
plains swarmed with all sorts of
types of butterflies, and never be-
fore had I witnessed such im-
mense numbers along a rivulet at
the Geronimo Henderson ranch,
when hardly a leaf or branch of
the forest trees and brush were
bare, and the sky was literally
covered with large, cloudy and
glittering masses of butterflies-
having gathered there by the
millions preparatory to their mi-
gratory flight to other climes.
Only a few other samples of
course can be presented herein of
the multitudes of various gorgeous
,butterflies and moths encountered
all over the Texas forests, during
the summer. The three other or-
iginal photoviews herein for in-
stance are of much interest, in par-
ticular the large broad winged
specimen which was of intenseIndian red and dark brown color
with white and reddish circular
bands across the wings, seemingly
as if they were two separate
wings. Large bluish colored cir-
cles with jet black outlines deco-
rated the apex part of both wings,
and teach wing showed several
fine, grayish circular outlinings
along the lower curvature.
This large specimen of an un-
usually fine and rare butterfly-
moth measured six inches in width,
and it was captured lately by a
friend- Mr. Win. Grossenbacher,
and photoreproduced alive by the
writer.
The other two are strictly night-
moths- one a rare forest moth,
and the other one an Oleander
moth, both captured some years
ago by the late naturalist, Pro-
fessor G. Jermy at our San Pedro
Springs park.Texas Snakes and the Treatment of Snake Bite
Snakes of various types and
snakebites, and ldeths from same
have considerably diminished in
Texas of late years. rThe hunter's
gun, the "snakehunters," em-
ployed by reptile dealers and
ranchmen, have about exter-
minated the snakes.
however, now, in the beginning
of spring and summer, dlue to late
rains and washouts in favored
regions of the jungles, they may
appear quite conspicuous again,
as they multiply very rapidly.
As compared to olden times,
the few varieties of poisonous snakes
around settled and cultivated pla-
ces are exceedingly less numerous,
for reasons stated. As a rule,
even the most poisonous snakes
in our climate are very useful
animals, i. e., in one way only,
as they destroy vast numbers of
harmful field rodents and pestifer-ous insects. Even in winter time,
during the warmer days, these
snakes, the crotalids in particular,
will destroy numbers of prairie
rats and ground squirrels; and
the writer has occasionally ob-
served this during hunting trips.
During the month of February,
at Mitchell's lake, close to a road
leading to the main club house,
the writer happened to pass some
of the many cactus jungles near
the old "Laguna de los Patos de
Mitchell," and, hearing a com-
motion and rattling sound in one
of the cactus thickets, curiosity
led me to investigate the place,
and there, in the midst of a large
rat's nest and cactus jungles, a
huge rattlesnake could be seen in-
sIde the main entrance to it. The
snake must have noticed my ap-
proach, for it suddenly coiled its
body, and, head foremost, quickly
crept deeper and deeper into the
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Menger, R. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses, book, 1913; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143558/m1/139/?q=menger: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.