77 
to move about. At last the secret of its odd 
appearance was made known and just three 
weeks after it gave birth to the sixteen little 
snakes I made my usual visit to the box to see 
how my fat garter snake was progressing, when 
I was amazed to find my snake reduced to but 
little more than a skeleton, while the box was 
swarming with active little garter snakes. 
These I removed to another box and while so 
doing I counted sixty lively little baby garter 
snakes all about the usual size. It was a re- 
markable case of ‘ freak birth’ in snakes, so I 
preserved the prolific parent snake in alcohol. 
You see here it is, no larger than an ordinary 
full grown garter snake, while it is so emaciated 
that its ribs are perceptible through the skin.” 
“That was a strange case indeed. I suppose 
such cases are inexplicable. Like strange 
freaks of Nature evidenced in higher forms of 
animal life there is hardly any satisfactory ex- 
planation of such cases.” 
“You are right; seldom can such unusual 
instances in generation be explained. 
The baby garter snake is a miniature of its 
parent ; it is usually about six inches long, 
active and graceful. A short time after birth it 
is in earnest search for its natural nourishment, 
worms, tadpoles and baby toads. I have fre- 
quently watched individuals of my large fam- 
ily of baby garter snakes fiercely struggle for 
the possession of a wee baby toad, contested 
by two or even more resolute little snakes till 
