The Racers 



will turn and strike boldly at the would-be captor. If cornered, 

 it fights bravely, raising the anterior portion of the body from 

 the ground and striking upward to a distance of more than half 

 its length. 



While chasing a specimen across a cotton field, the writer 

 observed the snake to start into a crevice of the ground and 

 gave the reptile up for lost. It appeared that the snake was 

 not familiar with the place as the crevice extended but a foot 

 or so. Finding this to be the case, and with only head and 

 neck secreted, the reptile thrashed the e.xposed part of its body 

 in an hysterical exhibition of rage and excitement, and emerged 

 from the burrow to face the pursuer, the maddest snake he had 

 ever seen. Forgetting the surrounding vegetation, which offered 

 good shelter, it struck a dozen times, and during these antics 

 was made a captive. 



After a few weeks in captivity, these snakes lose their ner- 

 vousness, feed readily and thrixc for years. They display rather 

 more intelligence than do most serpents, and will quickly learn 

 to come to the hand that feeds them. The writer once wit- 

 nessed a remarkable performance on the part of a captive spec- 

 imen. This snake had been captured more than a year. Tak- 

 ing the creature from its glass-fronted cage, the owner placed 

 it upon the floor, and taking a dead mouse by the tail, offered 

 it to the snake, although he warily kept the rodent about a foot 

 from the ophidian's jaws. Holding the mouse the same distance 

 from the snake, he retreated across the room, the shining creature 

 following in graceful undulations, with head upraised. Up 

 a ladder leading to a loft went the man, the snake quickly as- 

 cending the rungs; and then describing a circle on the floor above, 

 the man descended the ladder, the snake sliding after him. Once 

 more in the room, he held the mouse some distance from the 

 floor, shaking it vigorously in one hand, while with the other 

 he reached for his pet, which, quickly climbing to the coveted 

 mouse, seized and began swallowing it while yet in the master's 

 hands. Throughout the entire performance, the snake dis- 

 played nothing but eagerness for the mouse — and absolutely 

 no fear of the actions of the man. 



The Blacksnake is oviparous — depositing from one to two 

 ozen eggs during June or July. These are frequently secreted 

 nder flat stones, on sunny banks, or are laid in soft, moist soil. 



283 



