A BIRD'S-NEST HUNTER. 71 



acquaintance. I knew him by name and 

 reputation, Mephitis mephitica the scien- 

 tific folk call him, with felicitous reverbera- 

 tive emphasis, and that sufficed. At an- 

 other time, a few weeks later than this, I 

 overheard an unusual commotion among 

 the birds in our apple orchard. "Some 

 rascally cat ! " I thought ; and, picking up 

 a stone, I hastened to put a stop to his de- 

 predations. But there was no cat in sight ; 

 and it was not till I stood immediately 

 under the tree that I discovered the ma- 

 rauder to be a snake, just then slowly mak- 

 ing toward the ground, with a young bird 

 in his jaws. Watching my opportunity, 

 while he was engaged in the delicate opera- 

 tion of lowering himself from one branch to 

 another, I shook the trunk vigorously, and 

 down he tumbled at my feet. Once and 

 again I set my heel upon him ; but the tall 

 grass was in his favor, and he succeeded in 

 getting off, leaving his dead victim behind 

 him. 1 



1 The birds at once became quiet, and I went back com- 

 placently to my book under the linden-tree. Who knows, 

 however, whether there may not have been another side to 

 the story ? Who shall say what were the emotions of the 

 snake, as he wriggled painfu'ly homeward after such an 



