300 Snake versus Frog. 



The mowers, who sleep a good deal under the 

 hedges, have a tradition that a snake will sometimes 

 crawl down a man's throat if he sleeps on the ground 

 with his mouth open. There is also a superstition 

 among the haymakers of snakes having been bred in 

 the stomachs of human beings, from drinking out of 

 ponds or streams frequented by water snakes. Such 

 snakes — green, and in every respect like the field 

 snake — have, according to them, been vomited by 

 the unfortunate persons afflicted with this strange 

 calamity. It is curious to note in connection with 

 this superstition the ignorance of the real habits of 

 these creatures exhibited by people whose whole Uves 

 are spent in the fields and by the hedges. 



Now and then a peculiar squealing sound may be 

 heard proceeding from the grass ; on looking about it 

 is found to be made by a frog in the extremity of 

 mortal terror. A snake has seized one of his hind 

 legs and has already swallowed a large part of it. 

 The frog struggles and squeals, but it is in vain ; the 

 snake, if once he takes hold, will gradually get him 

 down. I have several times released frogs from this 

 horrible position ; they hop off apparently unhurt 

 if only the leg has been swallowed. But on one 

 occasion I found a frog quite half gone down the 

 throat of its dread persecutor : I compelled the snake 

 to disgorge it, but the frog died soon afterwards. 

 The frog being a broad creature, wide across the 

 back — at least twice the width of the snake — it ap- 

 pears surprising how the snake can absorb so large a 

 thing. 



In the nesting season snakes are the terror of 

 those birds that build in low bushes. I have never 



