53 
about as broad as your hand and nearly seven 
feet in length was ‘cast,’ with my assistance, 
by a large specimen of Pine snake that I had 
among my pets. The others are from black 
snakes four and five feet in length, and other 
species of our harmless snakes. These small 
ones are from the little burrowing snakes that 
attain a length of less than a foot. You will 
notice these are as soft as silk. When ‘ cast,’ 
snake skins are soft and pliable, but when 
dried you will notice they generally become 
hard and brittle, especially large specimens. 
A snake in its new dress, after casting its 
‘slough,’ is as smooth as china, and it is en- 
tirely free from the ‘sliminess’ that prevailing 
ignorance of snake life persistently attributes to 
these despised creatures. Eels are slimy; 
snakes are as dry, and in some species as silky 
in texture, as ivory.” 
MODES OF DEFENSE. 
** We will next consider the means of defense 
possessed and exercised by our common 
snakes. Hscape is the first impulse of our 
common snake, when suddenly surprised in its 
natural haunts. Seldom, if ever, does an in- 
nocuous snake seek combat with man or beast, 
but when escape is seemingly impossible and 
the natural instinct of self- preservation inspires 
defense, then even very small specimens of our 
harmless snakes manifest a strong dispasitien 
~ 
o 
