336 WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



position ; they hop off apparently unhurt if only the 

 leg has been swallowed. But on one occasion I found 

 a frog quite half gone down the throat of its dread per- 

 secutor. I compelled the snake to disgorge it, but the 

 frog died soon afterwards. The frog being a broad 

 creature, wide across the back at least twice the width 

 of the snake it appears surprising how the snake can 

 absorb so large a thing. 



In the nesting season snakes are the terror of those 

 birds that build in low bushes. I have never seen a 

 snake in a tree (though I have heard of their getting 

 up trees), but I have seen them in hawthorn bushes 

 several feet from the ground, and apparently proceed- 

 ing along the boughs with ease. I once found one in 

 a bird's nest : the nest was empty the snake had 

 doubtless had a feast, and was enjoying deglutition. 

 In some places where snakes are numerous, boys when 

 bird's-nesting always give the nest a gentle thrust with 

 a stick first before putting the hand in, lest they should 

 grasp a snake instead of eggs. The snake is also 

 accused of breaking and sucking eggs some say it is 

 the hard-set eggs he prefers ; whether that be so or 

 no, eggs are certainly often found broken and the yolk 

 gone. When the young fledglings fall out of the nest 

 on to the ground they run great risks from snakes. 



When sitting in a punt in summer, moored a hun- 

 dred yards or more from shore, I have often watched 

 a snake swim across the lake, in that place about three 

 hundred yards wide. In the distance all that is visible 

 is a small black spot moving steadily over the water. 



