4810 Reptiles. 



Dublin, and is now in Captain Walkin's collection. — T. L. Powys ; Mount Wise Bar- 

 racks, Devonport, May 21, 1855. 



Child and Snakes. — A man and his wife, in humble circumstances, by the name 

 of Hill, live in Gilmanton, about two miles from London Kidge. They have several 

 children, and among them a bright little girl, six years old, who, some six weeks ago, 

 got into tbe habit of going out and spending part of the day away from home. The 

 father worked out at day's work and the mother w*as busy at home, and not much 

 uotice was taken of it, though the girl remarked upon what nice times she had with 

 her pets in the bushes, and several times spoke about the snakes. It was supposed 

 that she spoke figuratively, as children are apt to do, representing their dumb play- 

 things as possessed of intelligence. One night she stayed out till past nine o'clock, 

 and her parents went out and called for her, but she did not answer. After a while 

 she came home, and reluctantly told that she had been playing with the snakes. The 

 mother's anxiety became great, and the next morning she persuaded her husband, 

 before he went to his work, to go with the girl and see if she found any snakes. They 

 went off, and waited a moment, and out came two black snakes, the one a little over four 

 feet long, and the other a monster of his kind, judged to be between six and seven feet 

 long. The father looked with astonishment and fear as he saw the snakes hasten with 

 joy to the feet of his child, and yield delighted to her fondling caresses, coil them- 

 selves lovingly about her neck and bosom, crawl into her lap and cuddle down toge- 

 ther in child-like security, and apparently fall to sleep while she patted and gently 

 stroked them with her tiny hand. The father became indignant, and ordered his 

 daughter to go home if these were her playmates. He went off to his work, and she 

 remained with the snakes in spite of his orders. So things rested for a few days, an 

 older sister going with her and seeing her play with and feed the disgusting reptiles. 

 At last the parties became much excited about the matter, the mother threatening to 

 shoot the snakes if the father did not, the child protesting. But the prevailing idea, 

 that if you kill the charmer the charmed one will languish and die, induced him to 

 consult Dr. Wight, who advised him not to kill the snakes. Last Sunday morning 

 Mr. Hill, with gloves upon his hands, started in pursuit of the snakes. He found the 

 smallest one, and chased it a long distance before it stopped so that he could get hold 

 of it. At last he succeeded in catching it, and now keeps it secured in a sugar-box. 

 It is cross to the rest of the family, but some of our informants have seen it coil itself 

 about the neck of the little girl, fold itself to sleep in her lap with the fondness of a 

 pet lapdog. It eats freely when fed by her, but seldom when fed by others. The lit- 

 tle girl was asked if she was not frightened when she first saw tbe snakes. She said 

 she was terribly frightened ; and when asked why she did not run, she said she tried 

 to, but could not ; she also tried to scream for her mother, but could not speak a word. 

 The idea was that she was paralyzed by the magnetic power of the snakes. The first 

 time she remained with them a very long time, could not tell how long. Afterwards 

 daily she staid with them several hours, feeding them regularly. She says they liked 

 sweet things best, and that she stole three cakes of maple-sugar that her mother had 

 laid away, and sweet gingerbread whenever she could, to give them. The big snake 

 would try to drive the small one from her when fed, and she cuffed him several times, 



