SNAKES. 35 



known to eat nothing for over a year although food 

 was frequently offered them. They need water, how- 

 ever, especially as their moulting time draws near. 

 What they eat depends to a great extent upon the 

 species, some preferring one kind of food, some 

 another. Like most men they are not fond of " cold 

 victuals" but prefer to capture their prey alive. Frogs, 

 tadpoles, small fish, young birds, field mice, rats and 

 especially insects and their larvae, are their favorite 

 foods. When they take a notion to eat they believe 

 in "gittin' a plenty while they're gittin,' " provided 

 they have a chance. Thus, no less than seven large 

 leopard frogs, besides a mass of other material, were 

 once found in the stomach of a common water snake, 

 Tropidonotis sipedon (L.), which was dissected by the 

 writer on account of its aldermanic appearance. 



Many snakes have also cannibalistic tendencies, so 

 that the accompanying illustrated " snake lie" has that 

 much for a basis. 



Two instances of a snake's cannibalism have come 

 to the personal notice of the writer. Once, while 

 engaged in tracing a geological outcrop in the wilcl^ 

 of Arkansas, he saw the top of a small bush shaking 

 gently to and fro. Investigating the cause of the' 

 movement he found a half grown black snake with a 

 specimen of the summer green . snake, Cydophis 

 cestivus (L.), partially swallowed. The green snake 

 had been caught by the head and while endeavoring 

 to escape had wrapped its tail in a double coil about 

 the bush. The black snake had to suspend operations 

 when he had swallowed up to the bush, and was evi- 

 dently awaiting the digestion of the part within his 



