marked across the back with
dumb-bells of reddish brown; the top of the head more or less coppery.

Both Moccasins and Rattlers have a flat triangular head, which is much
wider than the thin neck; while most harmless snakes have a narrow head
that shades off into the neck.

Rattlesnakes are found generally distributed over the United States,
southern Ontario, southern Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

How Does a Snake Bite

Remember, the tongue is a feeler, not a sting. The "stinging" is done by
two long hollow teeth, or fangs, through which the poison is squirted
into the wound.

The striking distance of a snake is about one-third the creature's
length, and the stroke is so swift that no creature can dodge it.

The snake can strike farthest and surest when it is ready coiled, but
can strike a little way when traveling.

You cannot disarm a poisonous snake without killing it. If the fangs are
removed others come quickly to take their place. In fact, a number of
small, half-grown fangs are always waiting ready to be developed.

In Case of Snake Bite

First, keep cool, and remember that the bite of American snakes is
seldom fatal if the proper measures are followed.

You must act at once. Try to keep the poison from getting into the
system by a tight bandage on the arm or leg (it is sure to be one or the
other) just above the wound. Next, get it out of the wound by slashing
the wound two or more ways with a sharp knife or razor at least as deep
as the puncture. Squeeze it--wash it out with permanganate of potash
dissolved in water to the color of wine. Suck it out with the lips (if
you have no wounds in the mouth it will do you no harm there). Work,
massage, suck, and wash to get all the poison out. After thorough
treatment to remove the venom the ligature may be removed.

"Pack small bits of gauze into the wounds to keep them open and
draining, then dress over them with gauze saturated with any good
antiseptic solution. Keep the dressing saturated and the wounds open for
at least a week, no matter how favorable may be the symptoms."

Some people consider whiskey or brandy a cure for snake bite. There is
plenty of evidence that many have been killed by such remedies, and
little that they have ever saved any one, except perhaps when the victim
was losing courage or becoming sleepy.

In any case, send as fast as you can for a doctor. He should come
equipped with hypodermic syringe, tubes of anti-venomous serum