374 FORT F -FOUR YEARS OF 



witnessed of a snake charming a bird, I will here relate an 

 instance which was seen by my son, Thomas Browning, of 

 the operations of a rattlesnake upon a flock of birds. He 

 says, 



" My father once sent me to the woods to give salt to 

 some young horses. On my way, I saw a great nuinhcr 

 of birds of different kinds collected in one place ; and 

 they all seemed in distress, as if they had discovered an 

 enemy robbing their nests. As their attention appeared 

 to be drawn to one spot, I went to the place ; but as I 

 approached it, all the birds flew off to the trees except 

 one, which we call a flicker, or yellow-hammer, a bird one 

 size larger than a robin. It was sitting on a small stick, 

 very near the mouth of a rattlesnake, apparently insensible 

 of danger ; the snake looking at the bird, and the bird 

 looking as earnestly at the snake. 



" I stood still, to see what would be done. The bird 

 seemed to be in great distress, and sent forth most pitiful 

 cries. They both kept their places for a minute or two, 

 when the snake commenced moving very slowly towards 

 the bird, until it was near enough ; gently opening its 

 mouth, it took the bird by the breast, slily and easily bury- 

 ing its jaws in the feathers, and then it clenched them with 

 a strong hold that its victim could not resist. The bird 

 then seemed fully sensible of its danger, and made great 

 efforts to fly off; but the serpent held on, the bird raising 

 him several times partly from the ground. The snake, 

 however, cared not for the fluttering of the bird, some- 

 times lying on its back, and making no effort beyond hold- 

 ing on securely, and the bird soon yielded. 



" I felt so provoked, and my feelings became so much 

 enlisted for the innocent bird, that I struck a heavy blow 

 with a club across the snake's neck, which soon relieved 

 the p'/Or thing, and it hopped off a short distance. I went 

 on to do my errand, and on my return in the evening the 



