|L54 Zoological Collections. 



current of air, always turned the thorax to the quarter from whence il 

 came, and emitted a portion of glutinous matter, which was carried out 

 into a line." 



5. On the Fascination of Snakes. By Mr Nash. 



'* I have often heard stories about the power that snakes have to charm 

 birds and animals, which, to say the least, I always treated with the cold- 

 ness of scepticism, nor could I believe them until convinced by ocular de- 

 monstration. A case occurred in Williamsburgh, (Mass.) one mile south 

 of the house of public worship, by the way side, in July last. As I was 

 walking on the road at noon day, my attention was drawn to the fence by 

 the fluttering and hopping of a robin red-breast, and of a cat bird, which 

 upon njy approach flew up and perched on a sapling two or three rods 

 distant. At this instant a large black snake reared his head from the ground 

 near the fence. I immediately stepped back a little, and sat down upon 

 an eminence ; the snake in a few minutes slunk again to the earth with 

 a calm placid appearance, and the birds soon after returned and lighted 

 upon the ground near the snake, first stretching their wings upon the 

 ground and spreading their tails. They commenced fluttering round the 

 snake, drawing nearer at almost every step, until they stepped near or 

 across the snake, which would often move a little or throw himself into 

 a different posture, apparently to seize his prey, which movements I no- 

 , ticed seemed to frighten the birds, and they would veer off" a few feet, but 

 return again as soon as the snake was motionless. All that was wanting for 

 the snake to secure his victims seemed to be, that the birds should pass 

 near his head, which they would probably have soon done, but at this 

 moment a waggon drove up and stopped. This frightened the snake, and 

 it crawled across the fence into the grass ; notwithstanding, the birds flew 

 over the fence into the grass also, and appeared to be bewitched to flutter 

 around their charmer, and it was not until an attempt was made to kill 

 the snake that the birds would avail themselves of their wings and fly to 

 a forest one hundred rods distant. 



** The movements of the birds while around the snake appeared to be vo- 

 luntary, and without the least constraint ; nor did they utter any distressing 

 cries, or appear enraged, as when squirrels, hawks, and mischievous boys 

 attempted to rob their nests, or to catch their young ones ; but they seem- 

 ed to be drawn by some allurement or enticement, (and not by any con- 

 straining or provoking power.) Indeed, I thoroughly searched all the fences 

 and trees in the vicinity to find some nest or young birds, but could find 

 none. 



" What this fascinating power is, whether it be the look, or efliuvium, 

 or the singing by the vibrations of the tail of the snake, or anything else, 

 I will not attempt to determine ; possibly this power may be owing to 

 different causes in different kinds of snakes. But so far as the black snake 

 is concerned, it seems to be nothing more than an enticement or allure- 

 ment, with which the snake is endowed to procure his food." 



