6 B. NATURAL HISTORY. 



about her length she wheeled, placing her under jaw just out of 

 the edge of the water, then opening her month to the fullest ex- 

 tent. Some dozen young snakes, three to four inches long then 

 seemed to run or rather swim down her throat, after which she 

 clumsily turned in search of a hiding place. I opened her and 

 found about twenty living young snakes, two or three seven or 

 eight inches long." 



A gentleman in Georgetown, S. C, writes : — " I had for several 

 days noticed a very large moccason coiled around the limb of a 

 small tree near the pond. I concluded to capture it and accord- 

 ingly procured a large rabbit and placed it some way up from the 

 pond to toll her away from the water. She soon came down and 

 disappeared under a large log ; when next seen she was near the 

 bait, having traced it along the log on its opposite side. When she 

 had nearly swallowed the bait we made an advance ; quickly 

 disgorging it she gave a shrill whistling noise, and five young 

 snakes ran from under the log and ran clown the throat of the old 

 one. We cut off her head and found the five 3'oung, which made 

 efforts to get away." 



A farmer in Rosendale, N. Y., writes : — "I was one day mowing 

 and coming close to a smooth flat rock, I thought I saw as many 

 as a dozen snakes on it. I ran for a fork which was standing 

 within a few yards and when I came back there was only one 

 snake on the rock. I struck it on the back and seven snakes ran 

 out of the mouth." 



A letter from Chesterfield, N. H., says : — " 1 saw a striped snake 

 on the hillside, and noticed something moving about her head, and 

 counted twenty little snakes, from one and a half to two inches 

 long. I made a move and the old one opened her mouth and they 

 went in out of sight. I stepped back and waited and in a few 

 moments they began to come out. Then I made for the old snake 

 and killed her and forced out several." 



A farmer in Newburyport, Mass., writes: — "Riding through a 

 large corn field, in the centre of which was a large shelving rock 

 I observed on the top a curious commotion, but on near approach 

 found nothing. My curiosity was excited, and the next day I 

 repaired to the spot very cautiously, and on the top of the rock 

 saw an enormous striped snake sunning herself, surrounded by a 

 bev3 7 of young four to six inches long. After viewing them to 

 my satisfaction I made a demonstration, and to my surprise the 

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