76 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Greedy of milk Good rat-catchers. 



The black snake (which is altogether harm- 

 less, except in the spring) is very greedy of 

 milk, and it is difficult to keep it out when once 

 it is accustomed to get into a cellar where milk 

 is kept. It has been seen taking milk out of 

 the same dish with children without biting them,, 

 though they often gave it blows with their spoons 

 upon the head when it was too greedy; of which 

 the reader will find our artist has given a very 

 lively representation. 



These snakes are, however, found extremely 

 useful in America in clearing houses of rats, 

 which they pursue with wonderful agility, even 

 to the very roofs of barns and out-houses ; for 

 which good services they are cherished by the 

 generality of the Americans, who are at great 

 pains to preserve and multiply the. breed. They 

 are also said to destroy the rattle-snakes by 

 twisting round their bodies, and suffocating them, 

 by the violence of their contractile force. They 

 are so swift that there is no escaping their pur- 

 suit, but their bites have no bad effect. They 

 are only pernicious in skimming the milk-pans- 

 of the cream, and robbing the hen-roosts of their 

 eggs. They are very often found coiled up ia 

 Bests under sitting hens. 



