310 BELL’S VIREO. 
behind books and furniture, but particularly among bedding, blankets, and pillows in 
the bed rooms. Especially is this done by the very abundant chicken snake. Small 
specimens even entered my bird cages on the walls and swallowed the Canaries, Magpie - 
Finches (Amadina cucullata Gray), Zebra Finches (Amadina castanotis GouLp), and 
Cut-throat Finches (Amadina fasciata Sw.), etc. Many a narrow escape I had from 
being bitten by the moccasin or copperhead', when I was removing low brush with my 
hands, or was carelessly lying on the ground. On rising I frequently noticed one of these 
exceedingly poisonous animals in close proximity, the head lifted for an attack. These 
snakes are not easily noticed owing to their color, which is much like the old dead 
leaves or the ground. On logs lying in the water and on the borders of swamps and 
creeks, I often met the most dangerous of all our poisonous snakes, the water moccasin’. 
Quite plentiful, though less dangerous, are the often huge rattlesnakes, who, upon being 
approached, always give their peculiar warning with their rattle. All these venomous 
snakes move slowly and never climb bushes or trees. 
The slender, long, and very speedy coach-whip snakes are the terror of all the 
small birds, as they desolate every nest within their reach, especially during the night 
time. On the 15th of April, 1881, I was roaming through the level prairies, dotted with 
insulated thickets, located south of Houston, partly with the intention of watching the 
northward bound birds, but chiefly to observe the Cardinal Grosbeaks and Mockingbirds 
at their work of nest-building. Frequently I had to crawl on hands and feet through 
the thickets, made almost impenetrable by masses of thorny trailing vines. I had just 
found in the centre of one of these thickets a Cardinal’s nest, when I suddenly heard 
from the outer border shrill notes of anguish. Quite a number of different birds, evi- 
dently in close proximity to each other, joined in giving their alarm. Upon reaching the 
spot as quickly as I could, I readily discovered the cause of all this disturbance. A 
coach-whip snake, firmly coiled about a twig, held a still living female Cardinal in its 
terrible coils. It was a cruel scene in this apparently so peaceful and idyllic spot. The 
infortunate bird made a‘strong defence, but the firmly tightened coils of the furious animal 
soon ended the agony of its victim. The courageous male, assisted by other birds, were 
bravely attacking the snake, which, however, defended itself by quickly moving its head 
in all directions, hissing and darting its tongue in and out. The strangled bird was, 
however, not to remain unavenged. One stroke dealt by a stick on the back disabled 
the beast, another crushed its head. Among the birds attacking the enemy I noticed two 
particularly anxious little singers, which could hardly calm themselves even after the 
snake was lying dead on the ground. Soon I discovered the cause of their anxiety. 
Quite near the spot where the just described tragedy had been enacted, hung, partly 
hidden by leaves and twigs, a beautifully constructed, purse-shaped nest—a Vireo’s nest. 
To which species it belonged, I had to ascertain by close examination. After I had killed 
the snake, most of the birds had left the spot. Almost perfect calm reigned. again, and 
only the poor male Cardinal was bemoaning the loss of his mate in the most plaintive 
notes. Even the two Vireos had become silent after I had moved some little distance 
from their nest, the position of which I now closely examined by means of my field- 
glass. The female bird at once resumed her place in the nest, while the male went out 
1 Agkistrodon contortrix, 2 Agkistrodon piscivorus, 
