86 SNAKES. 



Holbrooke,! who all describe it as being very beautiful and 



* innocent ' (except in the eyes of the farmers' wives). It is of a 

 pale, pearly white, sometimes tinged with pink, and with rich 

 chocolate spots on its back. The Racer, of egg-stealing 

 notoriety, is also a sad milk thief, and, like our own little 

 ring snake, has been known to retrace its way into dairies. 

 Such depredations were more frequent formerly when the 

 snakes were more numerous. Of the Racer, Lawson^ says, 



* This Whipster haunts the Dairies of careless Housewives, 

 and never misses to skim the Milk clear of the Cream.' 



The same love of warmth which takes the reptiles among 

 cattle, guides them into dwellings, particularly during the 

 night ; and in hot countries where nursing-women of the 

 poorer classes lie exposed, snakes have been found upon 

 their breasts, and absurd stories have been told of their 

 sucking the teats of women. In India, Australia, and 

 America, such stories are common. 



After all, it does not seem surprising that snakes should 

 like milk. Being carnivorous by nature, they would at once 

 detect an animal flavour in the liquid by the agency of 

 their sensitive tongue. 



Now turning to India, we find that the love of snakes for 

 milk is mentioned by numerous writers on the manners and 

 customs of the Hindus, as well as by travellers and naturalists. 

 Balfour' tells us 'when a snake discovers how to get at the 

 eggs and milk in a larder, no native w^ill on any account 

 kill it, because it is regarded as the good genius of the 



^ North Afnerican Herpctology. Pliil., U. S., 1842. 



2 History of Carolina^ by Jno. Lawson, 1 709. 



^ Balfour's British India ; also the Cyclopedia of India. 



