Hinged snake. 



49 



It is by far tlie most common of our true reptilia, if we 

 except the little Lizard, Zootoca vivipara. It inhabits all 

 our woods and heaths and hedgerows, especially in the neigh- 

 bourhood of water, feeding upon young birds, and even 

 eggs, or mice, and other small quadrupeds, and lizards ; 

 but, in preference to all these, upon frogs, I have seen 

 one of these voracious creatures in pursuit of a frog, which 

 appeared perfectly conscious of its approaching fate, leaping 

 with less and less power as it found its situation more hope- 

 less, and the crisis of its fate approaching, and uttering its 

 peculiar weak cry with more than usual shrillness, until at 

 length it was seized by its pursuer by the hinder leg, and 

 gradually devoured. The manner in which the Snake takes 

 its prey is very curious. If it be a frog, it generally seizes 

 it by the hinder leg, because it is usually taken in pursuit. 

 As soon as this takes place, the frog, in most instances, 

 ceases to make any struggle or attempt to escape. The 

 whole body and the legs are stretched out, as it were, con- 

 vulsively, and the Snake gradually draws in first the leg he 

 has seized, and afterwards the rest of the animal, portion after 

 portion, by means of the peculiar mechanism of the jaws, so 

 admirably adapted for this purpose. It must be recollected 



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