104 THE BLACK SNAKE. 



in a manner similar to the Rattle-Snake. Their body 

 is said to be so brittle that if, when pursued, they 

 get their head into a hole, and a person seizes hold 

 of the tail, this will often twist itself to pieces *. 



The Black Snake is sometimes bold enough to 

 attack a man, but may be driven off by a smart 

 stroke from a stick, or whatever other weapon he 

 may chance to have in his hand. When it over- 

 takes a person who has endeavoured to escape (not 

 having had courage enough to oppose it), it is 

 said to wind itself round his legs in such a man- 

 ner as to throw him down, and then to bite him 

 several times in the leg, or wherever it can lay 

 hold of, and run off again. 



During professor Kalm's residence at New York, 

 Doctor Colden told him that, in the spring of 1 74S, 

 he had several workmen at his country-seat, and 

 among them one just arrived from Europe, who, of 

 course, knew but little of the qualities of the Black 

 Snake. The other workmen, who observed a male 

 and female lying together, engaged their new com- 

 panion to kill one of them. He accordingly ap- 

 proached them with a stick in his hand : this the 

 male observed, and made towards him. The man 

 little expected to find such courage in the reptile, 

 and flinging away his stick, ran off as fast as he 

 was able. The Snake pursued, overtook him, and, 

 twisting several times round his legs, threw him 

 down, and almost frightened the poor fellow out of 



* Brickell, 153. 



