THE COMMON SNAKE. 71 



Particularly fond of milk. 



the blackbird, of a whitish color, and covered 

 with a parchment-like membrane. The young 

 ones are rolled up spirally within the middle of 

 the fluid, which greatly resembles the white of a 

 fowl's egg. They are not hatched till the spring 

 following the time when they are laid. 



The earliest time of the snakes making their 

 appearance is in the month of March, from which 

 period till the middle of May they are to be 

 found in vast numbers on warm banks, in moist 

 and shady places. From this time, probably on 

 account of the great heat of summer,, they are 

 not so often seen. They prey on frogs, insects, 

 worms, and mice; for the former of which they 

 often go into the water, where they swim with 

 great elegance. After a snake has devoured a 

 tolerably large frog or a small bird, its prey will 

 be seen to form a knot in its body; and it then 

 becomes so stupid and inactive as easily to be 

 caught. They are also said to be particularly 

 fond of milk, so much so that they will occasion- 

 ally creep into dairies to drink the milk from the 

 vessels. It is even said that they will twine them- 

 selves round the legs of cows to reach their ud- 

 ders, and that they will sometimes suck them till 







the blood follows. 



This snake can be in some degree domesticated. 

 Mr. White knew a gentleman who had one in 

 Tiis house quite tame. Though this was usually 

 as sweet in its person as any other animal, yet 

 whenever a stranger, or a dog or cat entered/ it 



