A SUMMER AT HOME. 219 



This seems incredible, but Mr. Komanes, in liis volume 

 on " Animal Intelligence," remarks that snakes " are well 

 able to distinguish persons, and that they remember 

 their friends for a period of at least six weeks." If, 

 therefore, a tamed snake can remember a person for six 

 weeks, there is nothing very remarkable in its retaining 

 the localities of birds' nests for a shorter period ; for 

 between the building of the nest and hatching of the 

 eggs less than half that time elapses. 



Of the eleven species of snakes found about home, it 

 is sufficient to say that my general impression is that 

 they are cowardly but cunning. Blessed with acute 

 hearing and sharp sight, they use both of these faculties 

 to the best advantage ; so that, while harmless as doves, 

 as serpents they are wise. 



July 20. — It was a pleasant change to be on Cross- 

 wicks Creek to-day. The whole character of the coun- 

 try was radically different from that where I am accus- 

 tomed to ramble, yet, being but two miles away, one can 

 scarcely call it " foreign parts." Of all that I saw, noth- 

 ing proved more attractive than a half-dozen beautiful 

 kill-deer plovers, that tripped over tiie sandy shores of 

 the creek, just ahead of the boat ; tame enough to let us 

 see them very plainly, and sufficiently confident to pur- 

 sue their food, while they kept an eye on us. When a 

 bird is so wild that it will only watch us, as we stare at it, 

 then it is as uninteresting as a stuffed specimen. "What 

 were these birds after ? Why were they there ? Such 

 are the questions a practical naturalist asks, and delights 

 in determining, howsoever difficult the task. 



