93 



these birds were Cardinals, several Vireos, Song and Field Sparrows, 

 Chats, Yellowthroat, Tanager and Kentucky Warbler and such in- 

 quisitive species as Titmouse and Downy Woodpecker. 



About twenty-five years ago, when I had more sympathetic 

 feelings for cats than at the present time, we had a fine large black and 

 white one which was considered a good ratter, One day I noticed 

 her in the garden, acting very queerly. She was standing with head 

 stretched up beside a hill of corn, intently watching something up 

 among the fully grown stalks. Her gaze was steadfast, and her tail 

 — "brushed" up, as a cat in anger, — was striking slowly from side to 

 side. 



As I had seen the cat in this position for some minutes, I went to 

 investigate the cause of her peculiar actions, and found a black snake, 

 fully six feet long, twining closely among the corn stalks, with his head 

 dangling below his coiled body, and swaying back and forth in front 

 of the cat, and not more than eighteen inches away. 



I approached within ten feet, but neither cat nor snake saw me. 

 I saw that the cat's eyes had a wild or frightened stare, her purring 

 was distinctly audible, and she was steadily contracting and relaxing 

 the claws of her fore feet. Excitement overtook me, and seizing a 

 club, I brought it down over the snake in rapid blows which soon 

 dispatched it. 



The cat moved away in an unconcerned manner, but when showed 

 the snake, she would move farther away. What would have happened 

 to either snake or cat, was broken by my interference at a critical 

 moment. 



The nearest to bird "charming" by snakes I ever observed, was 

 in 1892, and is herewith described, together with the black snake's 

 method of killing and devouring young birds. 



On June 12th, of the year stated, I found a nest of the Yellow-billed 

 Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus americanus) about ten feet up among 

 some vines overhanging an elm sapling. I did not examine the speci- 

 mens closely, but as they looked like freshly laid eggs, I left with the 

 intention of returning later for a possible set of four eggs for my cabinet. 

 Returning on the 19th, I was surprised to see, as I approached under 

 the nest, about three feet of a black snake hanging from it and cling- 

 ing to the vines. Even as I watched, his visible length slowly disap- 

 peared and I concluded that he was about ready to "collect" my in- 

 tended eggs. 



