Photographing Reptiles, etc. 229 



they fully expected to see me bitten and drop dead 

 before their very eyes. I tried to explain to them 

 that the creature was harmless, but they would 

 not be convinced and followed me with their eyes, 

 their mouths wide open, as long as I was in sight. 



The fact of the matter is that most snakes are 

 not only harmless, but perform their part in helping 

 along the day's work by killing off innumerable 

 rodents that are injurious to the crops ; and, did 

 the farmer but know it, he could have no better 

 allies than the snakes. Instead of allowing them 

 the run of the farm, as he should do, he loses no 

 opportunity to kill one, to his own loss. 



One of the first requisites in snake photography 

 is to lose this instinctive dread of your subjects 

 and learn to handle them fearlessly. Of course, 

 one must know the snakes thoroughly before he 

 attempts to do this, else the results might be dis- 

 agreeable should he pick up a copperhead or other 

 poisonous species under the impression that it 

 was not a dangerous one. 



In the Eastern United States we have but four 

 snakes, however, that are dangerous: the rattle- 

 snake, the copperhead, the moccasin, and a 

 little snake that inhabits the far South only and is 

 known as the coral snake. Of these the rattle- 

 snake is the most deadly, but none of them can be 

 handled with impunity. All the rest of the snakes 

 are harmless, and although, when cornered, they 



