44 THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS. 



ity where only birds and squirrels are con- 

 sidered at home, lifting himself up, letting 

 himself down, running out on the yielding 

 boughs, and traversing with marvellous ce- 

 lerity the whole length and breadth of the 

 thicket, was truly surprising. One thinks 

 of the great myth, of the Tempter and the 

 "cause of all our woe," and wonders if the 

 Arch One is not now playing off some of 

 his pranks before him. Whether we call it 

 snake or devil matters little. I could but 

 admire his terrible beauty, however ; his 

 black, shining folds, his easy, gliding move- 

 ment, head erect, eyes glistening, tongue 

 playing like subtle flame, and the invisible 

 means of his almost winged locomotion. 



The parent birds, in the mean while, kept 

 up the most agonizing cry, at times flut- 

 tering furiously about their pursuer, and 

 actually laying hold of his tail with their 

 beaks and claws. On being thus attacked, 

 the snake would suddenly double upon him- 

 self and follow his own body back, thus 

 executing a strategic movement that at first 

 seemed almost to paralyze his victim and 

 place her within his grasp. Not quite, how- 

 ever. Before his jaws could close upon the 

 coveted prize the bird would tear herself 



