X .>c 



THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



Vol. III. 



Portland, Oregon, October, 1896. No. 10 



TED, A SCALY PLAYMATE. 



ANGUS GAINES. 



VINCENNES, INDIANA. 



Ted was a snake, one of those short, 

 thick, sharp nosed fellows which boys 

 usually call "spreading adders," or "hog 

 no?ed snakes." Itwas in the early spring 

 that I found him basking in the sun on a 

 pile of crisp brown leaves in the open 

 woods. 



His dingy hue matched the color of the 

 last year's leaves so closely that 1 did 

 not notice him until 1 had almost stepped 

 upon him, and then a sharp hiss brought 

 him to my notice. There were so many 

 good hiding places near at hand that 1 did 

 not dare to wait to see what he would do 

 lest he should escape, so 1 snatched him 

 up and put him, writhing, squirming and 

 trying to bite, into a paper bag, where he 

 soon quieted down and became motionless 

 and sullen. 



He certainly appeared strong enough to 

 tear the bag open and escape at once, but 

 snakes, whatever their power for com- 

 pressing and crushing may be, have but 

 little power for outward pressure. 1 have 

 sometimes caught snakes large enough to 

 offer considerable resistance but which 

 could not escape from a light paper bag. 



A sharp rustle in the bottom of the bag 

 told me that my captive had changed from 

 sullen submission to active resistance. 



There was a sudden tearing of paper and 

 I had to grab quickly to keep the snake 

 from escaping through a hole in the bag. 

 This was something new and unexpected, 

 but then "spreading adders" have sharp 

 snouts for burrowing and can dig out 

 where no common round or flat nosed 

 snake could escape. Finding greater 

 precautions necessary 1 shut him up in my 

 basket and carried him home without 

 further trouble. 



Securing a large, light barrel I covered 

 its bottom with loose, dry sand and turn- 

 ed my snake loose in it. Filling a large 

 cigar box with crumpled paper I fastened 

 down the lid, Cut holes in the sides and 

 put it down in- the barrel to serve as a 

 bedroom and hiding place for my pet. 

 Although snakes of this kind are usually 

 found in high and dry places 1 knew that 

 he would need water to drink and to bathe 

 in, so I looked around for a suitable vessel 

 for him. Finding an old paint bucket I 

 sawed it in two and the lower half of it 

 made a very nice little tub. 



A snake cannot climb up a smooth 

 vertical surface, and so to escape from a 

 barrel must be longer than the barrel is 

 high. My new serpent was not this long 

 and the barrel needed no cover to hold 

 him in. Indeed he made little effort to 

 ascend the side of the barrel, but merely 

 searched around the bottom, rooting 

 furtively in the sand, and finally crawled 

 into his box and hid. 

 Next morning 1 found Ted, for that was 



