84 SNAKES. 



during that time ; and in the second place, the sudden 

 transition and strange situation in which they found them^ 

 selves would, through fright, entirely destroy whatever 

 inclination they might have had to appease hunger or thirst. 



It will be seen that snakes are exceedingly capricious in 

 taking food ; and that when in an abnormal or strange 

 locality they rarely feed for a long while. Mr. Lenz himself 

 is of opinion that, had he left them longer in the water, or 

 placed them in a dry tub where liquid could be got at, 

 they would or might have drunk. Thus, the experiments 

 only go to corroborate what all keepers of snakes have 

 observed, viz. that captivity or strange surroundings render 

 them averse to feed. 



M. Lenz placed his snakes among the cows in order 

 to test the foolish belief that obtains in some countries 

 that snakes will ^suck' the udders; but of course, and for 

 similar reasons, even could such an achievement be possible, 

 the snakes attempted no such thing. 



His snakes were strict members of a temperance society 

 also, for not even wine could tempt them to drink, though 

 this and other liquids were placed within reach to entice 

 their taste. Not so Pliny's snakes, for he would have us 

 believe that they show *a great liking for wine,' whenever 

 an opportunity presented itself for their tasting it ! 



But how came the idea to obtain that snakes suck cows, — 

 a fact so frequently asserted by the older naturalists .'* One 

 old writer goes so far as to state that a certain American 

 snake ' causes cows to give forth bloody milk.' And yet, to 

 the thinking or observing person, the origin of the belief 

 may be easily accounted for. That snakes have partiality 



