THE BLACK SNAKE. 10$ 



his senses. He could not rid himself of the animal 

 without cutting it through in two or three places 

 with a knife. The other workmen laughed heartily 

 at the incident without ever offering to help their 

 companion, looking upon the whole affair only as a 

 scene of the highest amusement. 



This Snake, which is altogether harmless, ex- 

 cept in the spring, is very greedy of milk, and it is 

 difficult to keep it out when once it is accustomed 

 to get into a cellar where milk is kept. It has been 

 seen eating milk out of the same dish with children 

 without biting them, though they often gave it 

 blows with their spoons upon the head, when it 

 was too greedy. 



It is said to be found extremely useful in America 

 in clearing houses of rats, which it pursues with 

 wonderful agility, even to the very roofs of barns and 

 out-houses ; for which good services it is cherished 

 by the generality of the Americans, who are at great 

 pains to preserve and multiply the breed. It is 

 also said to destroy the rattle-snakes by twisting 

 round their bodies, and suffocating them by the 

 violence of its contractile force. It is so swift 

 that there is no escaping its pursuit, but it6 bite 

 has no more effect than a scratch with a pin. All 

 the mischief this species does is to the farmers 

 wives, in skimming the milk-pans of the cream, and 

 robbing the hen-roosts of their eggs. It is not very 

 uncommon to find it coiled up in a nest under a 

 sitting hen *. 



* Catcsby, ii. 48. Brickell, 153. Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. 34.*. 



