43 
snake’s attention. Then the snake glided over 
the edge of the water-vessel till its head and a 
few inches of the forward part of its body rested 
on the ground, the remainder of its body was 
coiled in the vessel. In this watchful position 
the snake patiently waited, when presently the 
unwary toad hopped within reach of its natural 
foe, then, quick as thought, the snake seized 
the luckless toad and at once at ttempted to drag 
its unwieldy burden back with itself, into the 
vessel of water. The toad struggled bravely, 
but the pointed curved teeth of the determined 
snake heid it securely and after some effort on 
the part of the snake, the big “hopper” was 
soon struggling jor life and liberty in the water. 
I felt convinced that the snake could not by 
any possible means master such a large victim. 
Naturally I was keenly interested in the appar- 
ently unequal struggle. The snake was not 
over two feet in leagth and its head was not 
over one itch in width, while the toad was 
fully three inches wide and plump and solid. 
The snake seemed confident of its ability to 
master its big prey and while keeping it under 
water as though intent on drowning it, the ad- 
der deliberately proceeded to prepare its big 
mea! for gorging. After consuming considera- 
ble time in an apparent effort to compress the 
toad into as compact a form as possible, the 
snake worked towards the toad’s head and 
there began the act of gorging. 
I considered it an impossibility for such a 
