233 



LOCAL JOTTINGS.— No. 5. 

 DORCHESTER— DORSETSHIRE. 



BY JOHN GARLAND^ ESQ. 



The Snake, (Natrix torquata.) — Remembering the observation quoted in 

 some portion of the first volume of '^The Naturalist," that "Facts are 

 stubborn things/' I am induced to mention one or two anecdotes of the 

 Snake, although with much diffidence, from the fear of being "Doubled" up 

 as Mr. McTntosh was attempted to be in the memorable Cuckoo controversy; 

 I will, however, vouch for the truth of them. 



Some few years since I was walking in one of our walks, when I saw a 

 Snake glide into a rut made by cart-wheels in the turf adjoining the walk. 

 I should premise that this town is surrounded on three sides by terrace 

 walks, planted with chestnut and sycamore trees, very much in the style of 

 the boulevards of the French towns, and turf is at the sides of some of 

 them. I looked in the cart-rut, and perceived the Snake and several young 

 ones, not very large. I stepped back with the intention of picking up a 

 stone, still keeping my eye on the spot, when I saw the old Snake glide out 

 of the rut, cross the roadway, and go into a hedge by the side. I then 

 went to the rut and looked in, thinking to take the young Snakes, but to 

 my surprise saw none of them. I searched for them in vain, and have no 

 doubt they must have been taken away by the old Snake's swallowing them 

 pro tem : — I am quite sure I must have seen them had they remained there, 

 as I never once lost sight of the spot, although I did of the depth of 

 the rut. 



A short time before the above occurrence, I was one day passing at Grim 

 stone, just four miles from this town, when I observed a dead Snake, about 

 three feet long, hanging up on one of the arms of a directing post, and some 

 boys pelting it with stones. I passed on, and when I returned from making 

 the call which was the object of my journey, the boys were still there. It 

 occurred to me that I should like to see the Snake opened, and one of the 

 boys proceeded to do this. I saw various things taken out of it, such as 

 what I conceived to be a mouse and other partly-digested things, but also, 

 what struck me as rather singular, a minnow, about two inches in length, 

 almost perfect. The water-meadows adjoin the road, and possibly it might 

 have found a dead minnow on the bank of one of the rivulets: I cannot 

 otherwise account for it. I have had some little experience in the habits of 

 Snakes, having when at school frequently kept them, feeding them with insects, 

 etc., but I never remember seeing any mention of instances like the above. 

 I made notes of both occurrences at the time. 



Dorchester, April \^th., 1852. \ 



2 H 



