308 A live Snake suspended by Spiders. 



juices. The shelves were about two feet apart ; and the lower one 

 was just below the bottom of a cellar window, through which the 

 snake probably passed into it. From the shelf above it, there was 

 a web in the shape of an inverted cone, eight or ten inches in diame- 

 ter at the top, and concentrated to a focus, about 6 or 8 inches from 

 the under side of this shelf. From this focus, there was a strong 

 cord made of the multiplied threads of the spiders' web, apparently 

 as large as common sewing silk ; and by this cord, the snake was sus- 

 pended. 



Upon a critical examination through a magnifying glass, the fol- 

 lowing curious facts appeared. The mouth of the snake was fast 

 tied up, by a great number of threads, wound around it, so tight that 

 he could not run out his tongue. His tail was tied in a knot, so as 

 to leave a small loop, or ring, through which the cord was fastened ; 

 and the end of the tail, above this loop, to the length of something 

 over half an inch, was lashed fast to the cord, to keep it from slipping. 

 As the snake hung, the length of the cord, from his tail, to the focus 

 to which it was fastened, was about six inches ; and a little above the 

 tail, there was observed a round ball, about the size of a Pea. Upon 

 inspection, this appeared to be a green fly, around which the cord 

 had been wound as the windlass, with which the snake had been 

 hauled up ; and a great number of threads were fastened to the 

 cord above, and to the rolling side of this ball to keep it from un- 

 winding, and letting the snake down. The cord, therefore, must 

 have been extended from the focus of the web, to the shelf below, 

 where the snake was lying when first captured ; and being made fast 

 to the loop in his tail, the Fly was carried and fastened about mid- 

 way, to the side of the cord. And then, by rolling this fly over and 

 over, it wound the cord around it, both from above and below, until 

 the snake was raised to the proper height, and then was fastened, as 

 before mentioned. 



In this situation the suffering snake hung, alive, and furnished a 

 continued feast for several large spiders, until Saturday forenoon, the 

 16th when some persons, by playing with him broke the web above the 

 focus, so as to let part of his body rest upon the shelf below. In 

 this situation he lingered ; the spiders taking no notice of him, until 

 Thursday last, eight days after he was discovered ; when some large 

 Ants were found devouring his dead body. 



A Witness. 



