WAYS OF NATURE 



rel-catching by its mother, I shall know he is a pre 

 tender. 



Speaking of snakes reminds me of an incident I 

 have several times witnessed in our woods in con 

 nection with a snake commonly called the sissing or 

 blowing adder. When I have teased this snake a few 

 moments with my cane, it seems to be seized with an 

 epileptic or cataleptic fit. It throws itself upon its 

 back, coiled nearly in the form of a figure eight, and 

 begins a series of writhings and twistings and con 

 vulsive movements astonishing to behold. Its mouth 

 is open and presently full of leaf-mould, its eyes are 

 covered with the same, its head is thrown back, its 

 white belly up ; now it is under the leaves, now out, 

 the body all the while being rapidly drawn through 

 this figure eight, so that the head and tail are con 

 stantly changing place. What does it mean ? Is it 

 fear ? Is it a real fit ? I do not know, but any one of 

 our romance-naturalists could tell you at once. I can 

 only suggest that it may be a ruse to baffle its enemy, 

 the black snake, when he would attempt to crush 

 it in his folds, or to seize its head when he would 

 swallow it. 



I am reminded of another mystery connected with 

 a snake, or a snake-skin, and a bird. Why does our 

 great crested flycatcher weave a snake-skin into its 

 nest, or, in lieu of that, something that suggests a 

 snake-skin, such as an onion-skin, or fish-scales, or 

 a bit of oiled paper ? It is thought by some persons 

 17 



