The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 3, November, 1834Various
History
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 3, November, 1834
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
From our author's account, Texas would undoubtedly furnish its full
quota of contributions to a cabinet of natural history. The feathered
tribes luxuriate there, especially on the coast, in great abundance and
variety. The wild fowl congregate in prodigious flocks, and the
ornithologist might find almost every order, genera and species in
creation. The tenants of the forest are not less numerous,--there being
an ample supply of wolves, bears, panthers, wild cats, wild hogs,
foxes, rackoons and squirrels. The waters too, furnish their finny,
testaceous and crustaceous treasures,--the red fish, buffalo, cat,
drum, pearch, oysters, crabs, &c. Nor is there any want of those
amphibious annoyances, crocodiles and alligators--and to crown the
whole, there is an anomalous species called the
alligator-garr,--consisting not of the fanciful compound of half horse
and half alligator--but of the actual and bona fide admixture of one
moiety of fish, and the other of alligator. We must not forget either
in enumerating the zoological curiosities of that region, one which we
do not recollect to have seen described by naturalists. We give the
words of the author.
One of the prettiest little animals I ever saw, is the "horned frog;"
which, notwithstanding its name, is far from being amphibious, as it is
found on the prairies at a distance from water. Indeed it bears little
or no resemblance to a frog, appearing more like a lizard, with rather
a long and graceful form, a tail, and legs of nearly equal length, so
that it runs swiftly and never leaps. I had often occasion to notice
them, both here and on other prairies. They run with such agility, that
although they do not take alarm until you have approached very near
them, they dart off, and generally disappear immediately. One might
often mistake them for quails, while in motion. They are of a yellowish
color, mottled, and have horns about half an inch long, projecting from
the front of the head. Several were caught and kept for some time in a
barrel at Anahuac, and though it could not be perceived that they ate
any of the various kinds of food which were offered them, they lived
and continued active for a considerable time.
That formidable reptile the rattlesnake, is also found in the grassy
prairies of Texas. Our traveller killed one of the "largest and
noblest" of that venemous family--it being five or six feet long and
about six inches in circumference. It was provided however with only
eight rattles, whereas others which had been killed a few days
previously of hardly half the size, were furnished with as many as
thirteen;--from which the author takes occasion to contest the common
opinion that the number of rattles is an indication of the reptile's
age. We have heard the same fact asserted, and the same conclusion
drawn from it by others, whose opportunities for careful and actual
observation were undoubted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account