The Racers 



a portion of the body, deglutition proceeding at the same 

 time. 



This species generally selects rather dry and open situations, 

 being especially partial to the edges of meadows which are fringed 

 along their borders with brush or bushes, into which the snake 

 may dart for shelter. In such places it finds an abundance of 

 birds or the small wild mice that make their nests in the under- 

 growth or in stone walls, where they are hunted by the snake. 

 The species is commonly observed sunning at the edges of these 

 opens, or sometimes stretched out in the bushes, for it is an agile 

 climber, and although not passing much time above the ground 

 will occasionally ascend to considerable heights in search of 

 nests containing eggs or young birds, being voraciously fond of 

 both. The Blacksnake is also fond of frogs in fact it might 

 be called an omnivorous serpent. 



Having observed the Blacksnake many times afield, the 

 writer feels competent to explain something about its alleged 

 "boldness." While climbing one of the mountains in Pike 

 County, Pennsylvania, he cama suddenly upon a specimen on 

 a rocky ledge, engaged in a tussle with a ribbon snake (EuUenia 

 saurita), which it was endeavouring to swallow. The victim 

 had been grasped by the neck and had so twisted itself about 

 its captor's body that the latter was having anything but an 

 easy time in the engulfing process. Approaching warily, the 

 writer made an attempt to capture both, but the wily "racer" 

 had spied him, and, releasing the ribbon snake from its jaws, 

 dashed through the relaxing coils of the victim and over the 

 cliff. Grasping the bewildered ribbon snake by the tail, the 

 writer saw the Blacksnake dart into the air fully six feet from 

 the rock and drop fifty feet below on a thick growth of bushes, 

 over which it skimmed with bewildering speed for some distance, 

 when it dove into the brush and disappeared. The majority 

 of Blacksnakes seen by the writer have displayed a correspond- 

 ing alacrity to get away, and to catch them means a quick dash, 

 with outstretched hand, and an indifference to the serpent's 

 teeth: for the moment a specimen is made captive, it displays 

 such dexterity in striking that one must be quick indeed to avoid 

 its passes. 



When overtaken on smooth ground, where its undulations 

 do not catch the proper purchase for fast travelling, this species 



fti 



