202 May 1749* 



fcriptions, I was not able to guefs what 

 plants they meant. By going away fo early 

 as the beginning of April* I would have 

 remained in uncertainty in regard to thcfe 

 things. It was therefore fit, that I mould 

 fpend a part of the fpring at Raccoon, efpe- 

 cially as I had ft ill time enough left for my 

 tcur to the North. 



ON the road we faw a Black Snake, 

 which we killed, and found juft five foot 

 long. Gate/by has defcribed it and its quali- 

 ties, and alfo drawn it *. The full-grown 

 Black Snakes are commonly about five feet 

 long, but very flender ; the thickeft I ever 

 faw was in the broadeft part hardly three 

 inches thick ; the back is black, mining, 

 and fmooth ; the chin white and fmooth ; 

 the belly whitim turning into blue, mining, 

 and very fmooth j I believe there are fome 

 varieties of this fnake. One which was 

 nineteen inches long, had a hundred and 

 eighty-fix fcales en the belly, (Scuta Ab- 

 daminalia) and ninety- two half fcales on the 

 tail (Squanuz fubcaudales), which I found 

 to be true, by a repeated counting of the 

 fcales. Another, which was feventeen 

 inches and a half in length, had a hundred 

 and eighty -four fcales on the belly, and 

 pnly fixty-four half fcales on the tail ; this 



^ I like- 



* Anguh niger. Sec Cattflfs Nat* Hift. of Carol, ii. 

 t. 48. 



