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To attack its tormentor, the snake draws back 
its head and several inches of the forward part 
of its body in a graceful curve, and then, with 
mouth wide open it darts this erect portion of 
its body with lightning like swiftness at the ob- 
ject of its assault, immediately regaining its de- 
fensive attitude if the blow falls short of its 
mark. Except in quite small specimens, the 
body never wholly leaves the ground during 
the fierce attacks of the irritated snake.” 
“ Do you really mean to state as a scientific 
fact that the body of a snake does not wholly 
leave the ground during its vicious assaults, 
when the enraged snake attempts to fasten its 
teeth in the person of its tormentor ? ” 
“‘ Most assuredly I do, my Fritz, never except 
in small, vicious specimens of our most savage 
species, is more than half of the body clear of 
the ground during its fierce attacks. Thus 
statements declaiing that snakes spring bodily 
at their enemy is positively without foundation 
in facts.” 
The safest method of securing a specimen 
of our common snakes, except large black 
snakes, is to hold the subject firmly to the 
ground in such a manner as to allow you to 
seize it immediately back of the jaws; then it 
cannot bite and you are master of the situation. 
When capturing large black snakes, which not 
only bite severely but as well exercise the 
power to squeeze peculiar to this species, seize 
your captive back of the jaws with one hand 
