366 LOWER VERTEBRATES. 



names. C. vzd^nnus, the fox-snake, has been captured in Massachusetts, though its 

 home is further west. C. qucuh'iviUatus, or chicken-snake, as it has been called by the 

 negroes, frequently enters the southern cabins for rats and young fowl. The body is 

 of a dark olive color, ornamented with four longitudinal brown bands. Of exotic 

 Colubers, C. coreas, of Surinam, is the largest, and C. quater-radiatus, the largest of 

 Europe. The ^sculapian-snake, C. (esctdapii, is the most common European type. 

 Often they are seen in museums and menageries, where they become very tame. This 

 form was introduced into the mythology of the ancients, who twined it around the 

 staff of ^-Esculapius and the caduceus of Mercury, which, when thus equipped, were 

 supposed to be possessed of the most wonderful virtues. 



The genus Bascaniimi is represented in North America by five species, and twice 

 as many varieties. The most characteristic, as well as the most familiar form, and the 

 common black-snake, B. constrictor, inliabiting the United States east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, and its variety, vetustum, west to the Pacific, while nientovarius extends 

 further south, through Mexico to Tehuantepec. The common black-snake is most 

 often found in the neighborhood of water, and is particularly partial to thickets 

 of alders, where it can hunt for toads, mice, and birds, and, being an excellent climber, 

 it is often seen among the branches of small trees and bushes, hunting for young birds 

 in the nest. While on these plundering expeditions the reptile is often followed by a 

 troop of small birds in the greatest flutter of excitement. The black-snake does not 

 always remain in unfi-equented localities, however, but is often surprised in old fields, 

 by the roadside, and will even enter barns and seize chickens. At these times, the 

 rapidity with which it retreats, on being surprised, has given the animal, in some local- 

 ities, the name of ' racer.' As long as retreat is offered there is no resistance, though 

 if cornered, or during the breeding season, the usual mild temper gives place to a most 

 irascible disposition ; this is very characteristic of the animal when in confinement, as 

 it is always quarrelling and biting its fellow-prisoners, as often as the opportunity pre- 

 sents itself. The racer has been known to follow people, though this is more generally 

 from a spirit of investigation, rather than from any design on the part of the animal 

 to attack the object of its pursuit. Dr. Yarrow, however, knows of an instance in 

 which a female, with its young, on being surprised by a small girl, entwined itself 

 around the child's neck, biting her, meanwhile, in the face, and would probably have 

 strangled her, were it not for the timely arrival of assistance. 



The young of this species are peculiar ; instead of being black, as is the jiarent, 

 they are of an olivaceous color, ornamented with a dorsal series of dark-edged brown 

 spots, ^\ith lateral rows of spots of still darker color. The head is a dark chestnut 

 shade, mottled with brown. 



Pennant's early description of this form illustrates the tendency to exaggerate, 

 evinced by many old writers ; an inclination, by the way, which has not entirely passed 

 by. He says : " Many ridiculous frights have happened from this innocent reptile. 

 As everyone in America is full of the dread of the rattle-snake, they are apt to fly at 

 the sight of any of the serpent kind. This pursues, soon overtakes, and, twisting 

 round the legs of the fugitive, soon brings him to the ground ; but he happily receives 

 no hurt but what may result from the fright ; all the mischief this species does is to 

 the housewives, for it will skim their milk pans of the cream, and rob their hen-roosts 

 of all the eggs." 



Closely related to the black-snake is the coach-whip snake, B. flagelliformis, which 

 inhabits the south, as far west as the Mississijtpi, where its variety, testaceum, extends 



