LIVELY YOUNG SNAKES. 205 



which all I ran recollect is, that it was something 

 about a friend of his who, while out shooting, had fired 

 at a rabbit and skinned it with the shot. It seemed 

 queer ; as the details, however, have altogether gone 

 from my memory, I shall say nothing more about it. 

 After that and one or two others, our host related 

 that a friend of. his was sitting one morning early 

 in the verandah of his house enjoying his usual 

 morning cup of tea. He was lolling about, as is 

 usual, with his legs up and his chair tilted back, 

 when his attention was attracted by the singular 

 movements of a number of his poultry, which were 

 running about the compound. Some of them were 

 scuttling about under the hedge, and running to 

 and fro in great excitement. Every now and then, 

 one would rush out into the open, evidently bolting, 

 or trying to bolt, something it had picked up. The 

 officer watched them for a short time, but without 

 being able to make out what they were up to ; so 

 he went towards them to ascertain the cause of their 

 extraordinary movements. There he found a number 

 of very small snakes jumping about in a state of 

 great liveliness, and trying to avoid the fowls- 

 guinea-fowls, I think, they were said to be who 

 were pecking at them, and seizing them, and making 

 desperate efforts to swallow them, evidently con- 

 sidering they had found a great prize. But after 



