THE GREEN SNAKE. 



135 





the body gradually swells towards the middle and then as gradually diminishes to the tail, 

 which ends in a small point. The large smooth scales are arranged in such a manner that 

 they just resemble the plaited leather of the whip, and the polished brown-black of the 

 surface is exactly like that of a well-worn thong. 



The movements of this Snake are wonderfully quick, and when chasing its prey, it seems 

 to fly over the ground. The mode of attack is very remarkable. Seizing the doomed creature 

 in its mouth, it leaps forward, flings itself over the victim, envelops it with coil upon coil 

 of its lithe body, so as to entangle the limbs and bind them to the body, and, in fact, makes 

 itself into a living lasso. One of these Snakes was seen engaged in battle with a hawk, and 

 would apparently have conquered 

 in the seemingly unequal com- 

 bat had not the foes been 

 separated. It had grasped the 

 hawk by one wing, had dragged 

 it to the ground, and had suc- 

 ceeded in disabling the terrible 

 claws from striking, when the 

 sudde'ii approach of the narrator 

 alarmed the Snake, which re- 

 leased its hold, darted into the 

 bushes, and permitted the rescued 

 hawk to fly away in peace. 



The color of this Serpent is 

 rather variable. Generally it is 

 shining black above and lighter 

 beneath, with splashes of purple- 

 brown. Sometimes, however, it 

 is cream or clay-colored, and oc- 

 casionally has been seen almost 

 white. But, whatever color may 

 be the body, the portion near the 

 head is always raven-black. The 

 length of this Snake is about five 

 or six feet. 



The Coach-Whip Snake 

 (Bascanium flagelliforme) is a 

 rare species, inhabiting the Gulf 

 States. As its name suggests, 

 the body is long, slender, and 

 graceful ; and it is a rapid 

 runner. 



Other species are from Texas, from the great Salt Lake, and from California. A genus, 

 Salvadora, has a species found in Mexico. 



ANOTHER very slender Snake, also a native of America, is closely allied to the preceding 

 species. This is the GREEN SNAKE, well known for its grass -green color and its singular 

 activity. 



The Green Snake is fond of climbing trees, traversing the boughs in search of food with 

 marvellous celerity, and darting at its insect prey through considerable distances. So slender 

 is this Serpent, that a specimen which measures three feet in length, will barely reach one 

 third of an inch in thickness at its widest part. Partly owing to this extreme delicacy of 

 form, and partly on account of the leaf -green color of its body, the Green Snake is not easily 

 seen among the foliage, and in many cases would be undiscovered but for its rapid and 

 energetic movements. The food of this Snake consists mostly of insects. It is very readily 



COACH WIIIP SN AKE.~ Bascanium flageUiforine. 



