A live Snake suspended by Spiders. 907 



Art. XVI.-^^ live Snake suspended by Spiders. 



Batavia, N. Y., Sept. 20, 1834. 



TO PROFESSOR SILLIMAN. 



Sir — In the "Spirit of the Times " of this village, of the date of 

 Aug. 26, 1834, I published over the signature of "A Witness" an 

 account of a snake found suspended by spiders' web, by the tail, in 

 the wine cellar of a gentleman in this village. 



A gentleman who also saw and examined the phenomenon, prom- 

 ised to send you a drawing and account of it. Whether he has done 

 so or not I do not know. And as the story has, been treated as a 

 fable by some of the papers, I send you enclosed, the account above 

 mentioned, and a correct drawing, (though rough and done in haste) 

 made by James IMilnor Jr. Esq.,' a clerk in the Holland Company 

 Land Office. 



The gentleman in whose wine cellar the snake was found, is the 

 Hon. David E. Evans, agent of the Holland Land Company, who 

 requests me to forward to you the drawing and account, which he 

 pronounces to be accurate. 



Mr. Evans, Mr. Milnor, Mr. Mix, Doct. VanTuyl, and a great 

 number of other gentlemen, examined this subject critically on seve- 

 ral different days, while the snake was yet alive, and all concur in 

 the accuracy of the account. 



I hope you will procure a correct engraved cut of the drawing, and 

 publish it with the account in your Journal. And if you do, you are 

 at liberty to use all the names mentioned in this letter, or to publish 

 it at length if you think proper. 



Most respectfully, your ob't servant, 



S. CUMMINGS.* 



The following is the account alluded to in the above letter. 



On the evening of the 13th inst. a gentleman in this village, found 

 in his Wine cellar, a live Striped Snake, nine inches long, suspend- 

 ed between two shelves, by the tail, by spiders' web. The snake 

 hung so that his head could not reacii the shelf below him, by about 

 an inch ; and several large spiders were then upon him, sucking his 



* We understand that Mr. Cumminfjs is first Judge of the Court of Common 

 Picas in his county, and also Post Master of Batavia. 



