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195 



the frequency of his finding' them, or 

 this may be an off year for snakes. 



There was a time when I killed all 

 snakes on sight, but the following ex- 

 perience, which occurred several years 

 ago, cured me of the habit. 



Passing down a woods road alone 

 late one summer afternoon, with my 

 mind on things far away, 1 was startled 

 by a large snake which was lying di- 

 rectly across my path. It was oer- 

 fectly quiet, and one might have 

 thought it dead but for the brightness 

 of its eyes. I killed it and examined 

 the contents of its stomach. You may 



Gouverneur Morris Mansion, Willow 

 Avenue and I32d Street. 



Every fall I have had ten or more 

 baby snakes, which I took to the wilder 

 parts of one of our larger parks and set 

 free. Not knowing how to keep the 

 larger ones through the winter, I also 

 set them free; so that each fall I have 

 tin empty cage. Will you please tell 

 me how to keep them over winter? 

 Mr. Mellen's railroad is making such 

 changes in the district referred to, 1 

 very much fear there will be few live 

 things next spring. 



Tames J. ClKary. 



THE SNAKE'S EGGS. 



imagine my astonishment when 1 found 

 that its stomach contained a number 

 of partly grown wood rats, one behind 

 the other, in single file as it were. My 

 lecollection is that there were seven 

 young rats. A cat that had done as 

 well would be proclaimed a wonder. 



Snakes Hardy in New York City. 



New York City. 

 To the Editor : 



F'or the past five years I have every 

 summer picked up from eight to twenty 

 snakes — garter and DeKay's — almost 

 in the heart of this city ; on the site of 

 Tonas Bronck's farmhouse, and the 



It is interesting to learn that you 

 have found so many snakes right in the 

 heart of the city. Snakes may be kepi 

 during the winter in any cool place in 

 almost any box made over into a viva- 

 rium. Have some wire netting for 

 ventilation and keep earth and a little 

 water in a part of it. It should be in 

 a cool place but not freeze, preferably 

 in some good location in the cellar. 

 They lie semi-dormant all winter and 

 need not be fed. — Ed. 



It is possible to keep a snake in a 

 room with a temperature around 70 , 

 when they may be fed upon earth- 

 worms. — Raymond J. Ditmars. 



