SNAKES AND SNAKE STORIES 425 



CAN MAKE NO NOISE WITH THEIR RATTLE, 



but this is the first instance of that fact coming 

 under my observation. This snake made no at- 

 tempt to strike me, although I stood perfectly still 

 within a few inches of its nose, but I was less for- 

 tunate in my next encounter. I had been over to 

 Forest Lake Club and was walking back through 

 the short-cut trail when I saw a yellow-billed 

 cuckoo in the path, and walking sideways to get 

 a better view I suddenly heard 



THE DRY BUZZING NOISE OF A RATTLESNAKE; 



turning around to locate the sound, I was just in 

 time to see the pinkish white mouth of the villain 

 as he struck viciously at my legs. I gave an in- 

 voluntary grunt and jumped backwards. The 

 snake's nose struck my trousers with considerable 

 force, but strange to say its fangs did not catch in 

 the cloth. 



Immediately after the attack the snake fled into 

 the underbrush; I followed, but when I stopped 

 to pick up a stone, the reptile had disappeared and 

 I lost it. 



"DON'T TREAD ON ME." 



It is the only time that I ever felt like killing 

 even a snake ; but it was not the snake's fault, for 

 had it not attacked me it would have been trampled 

 upon the next step I took. It only defended itself. 



