OPHIDIAN TASTE FOR BIRDS' EGGS. 65 



and numerous, that I regarded the Racer as a friend rather 

 to be encouraged and domesticated than ruthlessly slain. 

 Its couch now, in its spring green and freshness, was 

 enamelled with the star-like partridge-berry {Mitchclla 

 repens), dotted here and there with twin coral berries 

 that had lingered through the winter; the bright-leaved, 

 white - flowered winter green {ChimapJiila macidata) ; the 

 Bluets {Oldenlandia purpurea), and other exquisite little flowers 

 too lovely to be crushed and tainted ; while a sunbeam glanc- 

 ing through the trees, and showing up the polished scales of 

 the unconscious Racer, all seemed eloquent with mercy. 



It was the first time I had been close enough to touch so 

 large a snake ; and the whole scene is vividly before me now. 

 Culprit though it might be, it was splendid and beautiful ; 

 and I entreated Johnny to wait and wake it up, so that 

 we might watch its actions. 



* All very fine ! ' cried the boy, not yet in his teens, * and 

 fourteen more eggs gone from the hen-house last night ! ' 



So he pounced upon a fallen bough, which he rapidly 

 trimmed to suit his purpose, then with one sharp blow 

 across the poor thing's back, disabled it. I think the 

 snake was quite killed by the blows the boy subsequently 

 dealt, for I do not remember that it moved at all. 



* Now you can look at it as much as you please,' said the 

 juvenile sportsman as he straightened the reptile out to its 

 full length. Then I examined and measured it, and found 

 it was more than two lengths of my long-handled parasol. 

 Black creatures with two hands and two legs were far more 

 likely to be the egg-stealers than that poor Racer far oft" in 

 the woods. 



E 



