288 ROCHESTKR ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. [May 28, 



have never encountered a specimen exceiU in Georgia. The living 

 one I examined was nearly six feet long. 



There are serpents which do not resent the intrusion of man and 

 show a desire to be on friendly terms. It is known that the rat snake 

 of India, [Piyas muc(7siis,) although by nature ill tempered and treach- 

 erous, is frecpiently domesticated and makes himself extremely valua- 

 ble in catching rats, mice and other vermin. While residing in 

 London I made friends at the Zoological Gardens with a splendid 

 specimen of the rat catcher, eight feet in length. He would lay his 

 head upon my arm while I stroked his head and neck. He showed 

 his pleasure by shutting his eyes and gently raising his head to 

 increase the pressure of my hand and evidently enjoyed the caresses 

 as much as the drug store torn cat when receiving the same attention. 



From my observation I think the chain snake, or king snake, of 

 the south, [Ophibolus getulus,) is capable of being domesticated in the 

 same manner as the Ptyas inucosus. I succeeding in attracting a king 

 snake to my engine house and for more than a year he kept away all 

 other serpents as well as the rats and mice which before had been 

 extremely troublesome. The pretty creature would show himself 

 quite frequently and take the food we placed for him, but we never 

 succeeded in handling him. Many mills and even private houses 

 have these snakes domesticated and they are as harmless as a cat, 

 but more vigilant and useful. The creature is a very dude among 

 snakes. His garment is in broad stripe of brilliant red, bronze and 

 gold, worn diagonally across his back like the long twisted links of a 

 chain. His collar is white and he has a red tie. No one in the south 

 will ever kill or wound a king snake and the negroes hold him as 

 exempt from harm as a sailor does an albatross. The king snake does 

 not take his name simply from his royal robes but he is the veritable 

 king of serpents. He will attack and kill the largest black snake, 

 pilot or rattler with perfect confidence and win an easy victory. He 

 will seize his enemy by the neck and coil rapidly about his body. 

 He causes death probably by stretching himself and parting the ver- 

 tebrae of his victim. 



There is a wide difference in the courage and instincts of ser- 

 pents. Some will resent the least interference and boldly advance to 

 attack, while others are cowardly. The southern black adder is a 

 large puffy braggart, but is really a coward and has the instinct of the 

 opossum ; in the presence of danger he feigns death but when the 

 coast is clear he will open his eyes and make off to a place of safety. 



