192 



Life and Immortality. 



Ancistrodon piscivorus, the Water Moccasin, that commands 

 so much respect from the negroes of the South, is, from the 

 pugnacity of his nature, equally to be feared. While the 

 Rattlesnake will slink away from danger, the Moccasin will 

 attack man or brute with savage ferocity. He is essentially 

 a water-snake, chasing fishes and small reptiles in the streams 

 of his native haunts, and may be recognized by the dark- 

 brown colors on the upper portion of the head and the yel- 

 lowish line that passes from the snout to or over the nostril. 



MOTHER BLACK SNAKE. 

 Her Affection for Newly-Hatched Young. 



His length rarely exceeds twenty inches, and he is stout in 

 proportion. The Moccasins show the same curious care for 

 their young already mentioned. A low, blowing noise 

 apprises them of danger, and into the slightly-opened mouth 

 of the mother, which is held close to the ground, they hur- 

 riedly disappear. 



One of the commonest of the non-poisonous snakes is the 

 Striped Garter Snake, ten species of which being known in 

 the United States. Upon the earliest appearance of spring 



