430 DAN BEARD'S ANIMAL BOOK 



ancestors believed so implicitly have no place ex- 

 cept in books of folk-lore, or in children's books, 

 where the hoop-snake may find a congenial com- 

 panion with 



MOTHER GOOSE'S COW, 



that jumped over the moon. 



Yet I freely acknowledge that I love Mother 

 Goose, Baron Munchausen, and all their family 

 and friends, and am in sympathy with the New 

 York Sun when it says : 



"It is a cheerful belief that it would be a pity 

 to discard into the lumber room of the things that 

 once held faith. The most appreciative account of 

 the water finder's rod is in Dr. Herbert Mayo's 

 work, 'Letters on Truth Contained in Popular 

 Superstitions' (London, 1851). The work is most 

 cordial in its tone towards these old beliefs of 

 the lowly, and is a mine of curious information." 



A very interesting and complete account of old 

 superstitions probably more judicious than the 

 former, is Folkard's "Plant-lore, Legends and 

 Lyrics." 



Since so much has been said about the hoop- 

 snake it may be well to give a correct description 

 of it so that if any of my readers have been drink- 

 ing too much coffee or in any other manner have 

 upset their nerves, so that they dream of snakes, 

 they may be able to recognize the cele- 

 brated hoop-snake when it appears. The hoop- 



