SNAKES AND SNAKE STORIES 405 



all the appearance of rudimentary paddles, corre- 

 sponding to the hind limbs of a reptile. 



When fishing on Big Tink Pond these water 

 snakes will steal one's minnows if they can gain 

 access to the pail. I once set a patent minnow trap 

 for bait and the next day found no minnows but 



THREE VERY PORTLY WATER SNAKES 



inside the trap. 



It is the habit of the native fishermen when fish- 

 ing for catfish at night to cut off the heads of the 

 captured fish, skin the bodies and throw the head 

 and skin into the water. Any one acquainted with 

 the flat, broad-mouthed catfish knows how wide 

 the head is in proportion to the body of the fish. 

 One day I discovered one of these water snakes in 

 the act of swallowing a large catfish head. 

 I carefully retreated, and secured my camera to 

 photograph the reptile, but a little snake-killing 

 dog named Jip discovered the water snake before 

 I had the instrument focused, and pouncing upon 

 it he shook it literally to pieces. 



When making these sketches of the little green 

 snake which I attempted to hold with one hand 

 while I sketched with the other, it 



WOULD SWING ITS TAIL 



around until it struck my pencil or some other ob- 

 ject, and then, with a motion quicker than that of 

 the most expert Jack Tar, it would throw a hitch 

 around that object, or a knot, which could not 



