344 



tion to rob birds' nests of their eggs and young. Ground-nesting birds 

 are particularly apt to suffer from the depredations of the black snake ; 

 and those species such as the song sparrow, catbird, thresher, robin, dove 

 and redwing, which place their nests not far above the ground, and the 

 bluebird, chickadee, and downy woodpecker, which deposit their eggs in 

 holes in trees or snags not many feet up. are often despoiled of their 

 eggs or young by this snake. 



We have often seen black snakes coiled up on limbs of trees or crawl- 

 ing about among limbs several feet above the ground evidently searching 

 for birds' nests. One of us remembers seeing a bluebird greatly disturbed 

 by a large black snake which was apparently about to climb to the blue- 

 bird's nest which was in a hole only 3 or 4 feet up in an old elm snag. 

 Coiled up at the foot of the snag, its head elevated perhaps a foot or 18 

 inches, the snake watched the bird intently, its head moving this way and 

 that and following closely the movements of the bird which fluttered 

 incessantly about the snake and was probably as completely "charmed" or 

 under the power of the snake as birds ever get When approached the 

 snake became frightened and crawled away among the bushes : and then 

 the bird flew to a limb near by. 



A friend who is a close observer of animals tells us that he once saw a 

 ruffed grouse fighting a black snake which was endeavoring to rob the 

 grouse's nest He shot the snake, and the grouse, after showing some 

 astonishment, feigned lameness to lead him away from the nest. 



Another friend says that he once saw a chipmunk "charmed" by a large 

 black snake. The chipmunk was on a lug about 12 feet long, the snake 

 at one side near the middle of the log and with head elevated somewhat 

 more than the height of the top of the log. The chipmunk when first seen 

 was uttering the well-known chirping note so expressive of solicitude and 

 running back and forth on the log, at first the full length of the log, then 

 less and less until it ran but a few inches each way from the snake whose 

 head all the time moved to the right and to the left, following closely the 

 movements of the little rodent. At the same time the snake's tail, elevated 

 and rigid, was rapidly vibrating and making a noise not unlike that made 

 by a rattlesnake. Unfortunately the observer shot the snake without wait- 

 ing to learn if the chipmunk were really in any manner under the control 

 of the reptile. 



The black snake is not rare about Lake Maxinkuckee. Our notes 

 record seven or ei^ht individuals seen at different times. The earliest rec- 



