S.S 



FIGURE -'(] 

 Style 5, twenty-eight room Martin home of Mr. W. Scott Way, at 



"The .Sycamores,' 7 Easton, Md. 

 Twice within a few days this pole was ascended by large black snakes, 



many of the nestlings falling victims of the serpents. 



I noticed a state of great excitement at the Martin colony and, looking closely, was 

 surprised to see a large black snake coiled on one of the lower platforms of the house 

 with his head in one of the holes. Before I could reach him by means of a ladder lie had 

 entirely disappeared in one of the rooms. I punched him out in short order and on 

 cutting him open found he had just swallowed two young Martins almost fully fledged. 

 The snake measured over four feet in length. 



I had no idea thai a snake could reach the Martin house and I now, though at too 

 late a day, ordered a "snake arrester" in the shape of a large scpiare of sheet tin to place 

 on the pole aboul eight feet from the ground. Before I could get this, however, I 

 noticed another commotion about the house and again getting my ladder found a second 

 snake, probably the mate to the first, in a second story room on thesouthside. Hjehadevi- 



