202 OPHIDIA. — COLUBRID^. 



ning a line througli a copse. The Snake-fancier 

 suddenly dropped the chain -handle, and jumped 

 upon a bank. The next moment he came forward 

 with two full-sized Snakes writhing about his 

 hands and wrists. After viewing them some time 

 with much affection and admiration, he said; 

 ' Why, bless you, sir, I know their ways as well 

 as they do themselves.' He then stepped to a 

 road which was near at hand, and placed one of 

 the Snakes on the hard ground ; taking a thin 

 twig, he tapped the reptile very gently on the 

 head. It immediately darted towards him, when 

 he presented his hand to its open mouth, and 

 continued to play with it, now and then gently 

 tapping it on the head with the twig. He then 

 said that it should counterfeit death, and soon 

 afterwards, the Snake to all appearance lay dead. 

 Those who were standing by thought that this 

 was actually the case ; but the Snake-fancier said 

 that it would soon become sprack again, if they 

 left off looking at it ; and accordingly, on their 

 removing to a distance of between twenty and 

 thirty yards, the Snake was observed to glide 

 speedily into the nearest hedge. On one occasion, 

 and upon one only, the same person saw a Snake 

 in the act of casting its skin. He said, to use his 

 own words, that it reminded him of a labouring 

 man dramng his round or smock-frock over his 

 head. He further added, that the head of the 

 reptile was about midway in the old skin, and it 

 extricated itself from the worn-out garment by 

 passing the body through what he called the vent- 

 hole of the old skin. The new skin was perfect 

 in colour and appearance ; but the Snake ap- 

 peared in a very languid and exhausted state." * 



* " Gleanings," p. 359. 



