THE RINGED SNAKE. 127 



grasped, will coil itself round the arm and squeeze so tightly, that the hand becomes numbed 

 and unable to retain its hold. 



Many Snakes are variable in their coloring, but the Black Snake is, perhaps, the most 

 remarkable among them for this peculiarity. Usually, as its name imports, it is black, but 

 sometimes it is bright chestnut. Many specimens are gray, mottled with black, while others are 

 chestnut, marbled with deep rich brown. When full grown, it attains a length of seven feet. 



THE common GRASS SNAKE, or RINGED SNAKE, is a good example of the Natricidse. 



It is extremely plentiful throughout Europe, being found in almost every wood, copse, or 

 hedgerow, where it may be seen during the warm months of the year, sunning itself on the 

 banks, or gently gliding along in search of prey, always, however, betraying itself to the 

 initiated ear by a peculiar rustling among the herbage. Sometimes it may be witnessed while 

 in the act of creeping up a perpendicular trunk or stem, a feat which it accomplishes, not by 

 a spiral movement, as is generally represented by artists, but by pressing itself firmly against 

 the object, so as to render its body natter and wider, and crawling up by the movement of the 

 large banded scales of the belly, the body being straight and rigid as a stick, and ascending in 

 a manner that seems almost inexplicable. 



The Ringed Snake is perfectly harmless, having no venomous fangs, and all its teeth 

 being of so small a size that even if the creature were to snap at the hand, the skin would not 

 be injured. Harmless though the Serpent be, it will occasionally assume so defiant an air, 

 and put on so threatening an aspect, that it would terrify those who were not well acquainted 

 with its habits. I have kept numbers of these Snakes, and have often known them, when 

 irritated, draw back their heads and strike at the hand in true viperine fashion. Indeed, the 

 venomous look of the attitude is so strong, that I never could resist the instinctive movement 

 of withdrawing the hand when the Snake made its stroke, although I knew full well that no 

 injury could ensue. 



The food of the Ringed Snake consists mostly of insects and reptiles, frogs being the 

 favorite prey. I have known Snakes to eat the common newt, and in such cases the victim 

 was invariably swallowed head first, whereas the frog is eaten in just the opposite direction. 

 Usually, the frog, when pursued by the Serpent, seems to lose all its energy, and instead 

 of jumping away, as it would do if chased by a human being, crawls slowly like a toad, 

 dragging itself painfully along as if paralyzed. The Snake, on coming up with its prey, 

 stretches out its neck and quietly grasps one hind foot of the frog, which thenceforward 

 delivers itself up to its destroyer an unresisting victim. 



The whole process of swallowing a frog is very curious, as the creature is greatly wider 

 than the mouth of the Snake, and in many cases, when the frog is very large and the 

 Snake rather small, the neck of the Serpent is hardly as wide as a single hind leg of the 

 frog, while the body is so utterly disproportioned, that its reception seems wholly impossible. 

 Moreover, the Snake generally swallows one leg first, the other leg kicking freely in the air. 

 However, the Serpent contrives to catch either the knee or the foot in its mouth during 

 these convulsive struggles, and by slow degrees swallows both legs. The limbs seem to act 

 as a kind of a wedge, making the body follow easily, and in half an hour or so the frog has 

 disappeared from sight, but its exact position in the body of the Snake is accurately defined 

 by the swollen abdomen. Should the frog be small, it is snapped up by the side and swallowed 

 without more ado. 



In captivity, this Snake will eat bread and milk, and insects of various kinds, such as 

 the cockroach, meal-worm, or any beetle that may be found running about under stones and 

 leaves. It always, however, prefers frogs to any other food, and seems to thrive best on such 

 a diet. 



The skin or slough of the Ringed Snake is often found in the hedgerows or on waste 

 grounds, entangled among the grass stems and furze through which the creature had crawled 

 with the intention of rubbing off the slough against such objects. In some countries the 

 rejected slough is thought to be a specific against the headache, and is tied tightly round the 

 forehead when employed for alleviating pain. 



