The Water Snakes 



writer visited the old and deserted mill to ascertain if the snake 

 was yet there. On each occasion, on a sunny morning, she would 

 be seen as described. 



In the South, the water snakes have their favourite roosts 

 on large, derelict tree trunks, where the same individuals may 

 be seen 'day after day. Many times have we gazed helplessly 

 at these showy reptiles, sunning their thick bodies on logs or 

 branches, some distance from the shore. For during many 

 attempts to effect their capture from a boat, armed with a long 

 pole and noose, it was realised that the reptiles' extreme shy- 

 ness rendered our approach to within a noosing distance, quite 

 impossible. 



One big brown water snake gave us a substantial scare one 

 day, which later showed an interesting trait on the reptile's 

 part. With the guide we were'passing through a narrow clearing 

 near the Savannah Rivef. On each side of the clearing, was 

 a series of shallow, marshy pools, over some of which grew a 

 densely tangled brush. There was a sudden thrashing and 

 crash of the brush on our left, causing us all to start with sur- 

 prise. The guide, an experienced woodsman, declared that 

 nothing but a bear could make so much noise, and promptly 

 sent two blind charges of buckshot into what had been the 

 centre of the disturbance. As silence followed and an extended 

 investigation revealed nothing, we continued on our way. 



On returning through the opening in the timber our atten- 

 tion was naturally attracted toward the scene of the morning's 

 incident. When within a hundred feet of the spot the situation 

 cleared, for the cause of the disturbance was very apparent in 

 the shape of a huge specimen of the "water rattle" brown 

 water snake, lying stretched upon the top of the brush, which 

 sagged perceptibly beneath the creature's weight. As we ap- 

 proached it literally threw itself from the top of the growth, 

 and in a frenzied effort to get below and into the water, thrashed 

 its body violently from side to side and produced a noise that 

 more resembled the progress of a cow through the bushes, than 

 the escape of a serpent. 



In passing by this spot daily, for a week or more, we ob- 

 served this snake on the bushes and each time she escaped us. 

 This fine reptile was at last captured as the result of an inter- 

 esting condition we discovered shortly after. 



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