216 SIGNS AND SEASONS 



however, fell to the ground, apparently lifeless. I 

 went forward and picked it up, and found it was 

 thoroughly overcome with fright, its little heart 

 beating as if it would burst through the skin. 

 After holding it in my hand a few moments it flew 

 away. I then tried to find the snake, but could 

 not. I am unable to say whether the snake was 

 venomous, or belonged to the constricting family, 

 like the black snake. I can well recollect it was 

 large and moved off rather slow. As I had never 

 seen anything of the kind before, it made a great 

 impression on my mind, and, after the lapse of so 

 long a time, the incident appears as vivid to me as 

 though it had occurred yesterday." 



It is not probable that the snake had its mouth 

 open; its darting tongue may have given that im- 

 pression. 



The other incident comes to me from Vermont. 

 "While returning from church in 1876," says the 

 writer, "as I was crossing a bridge ... I noticed 

 a striped snake in the act of charming a song 

 sparrow. They were both upon the sand beneath 

 the bridge. The snake kept his head swaying 

 slowly from side to side and darted his tongue out 

 continually. The bird, not over a foot away, was 

 facing the snake, hopping from one foot to the 

 other, and uttering a dissatisfied little chirp. I 

 watched them till the snake seized the bird, having 

 gradually drawn nearer. As he seized it, I leaped 

 over the side of the bridge; the snake glided away, 

 and I took up the bird, which he had dropped. It 



