6 



a farmer's boy, who tied a string around its tail, and having 

 taken it home, tied the string to a small bush near the kitchen 

 door. Not intending anything, the boy said nothing about it. 

 As the family were at supper, the snake commenced blowing. 

 This was heard by the good mother, who cried out, " There, that 

 bull's got into the corn field again ! " The boy broke into laugh- 

 ter, and then told what he had done. And well do I remember 

 my boyish terror at hearing a similar sound. It was the restrained 

 bellowing of a bull, which came upon me suddenly in a field. 

 There is nothing sibilant in this blowing of the pine snake, not 

 the slightest hiss about it. The animal slowly fills its long thorax 

 with air, and then expels it with a bellowing which is really for- 

 midable. 



Observations made on an animal in confinement should be 

 weighed accordingly. A fact given me by an old resident in the 

 " Pines" would indicate that the pine snake is a great feeder. He 

 said he saw one killed, out of which were taken two young rabbits 

 and twelve quail eggs (the eggs may have been her own). This 

 snake likes to get under barns, without doubt in quest of rats and 

 mice. But for the above statement, I might have inferred from 

 my specimen that the species is a moderate feeder, as it often 

 refused food offered it. About a week after the swallowing of the 

 two rats I put a live one into the snake's box. She was not 

 hungry, and was evidently annoyed by the rat's presence. So she 

 made a dart, striking it on its side. The rat, plucky in its terror, 

 turned upon and bit its assailant. This was a new experience to 

 the reptile, and momentarily dazed with incomprehension of the 

 situation, it recoiled upon itself. It was, however, beside itself 

 but for a moment, for it instantly became alive with subtle action. 

 The tongue quivered with excitement, and that living cable, which 

 made up those fearful coils, began a rapid thickening. The 

 creature seemed to be inhaling air down its whole length. Now 

 began that fearful blowing. It was truly a bellowing of snakish 

 rage, and was followed up by a savage dart at the innocent in- 

 truder, which gallantly returned the compliment with another nip 

 of its sharp teeth, sending the snake back in haste to the farther 

 corner of the box. I noticed that the rat was in nowise stupe- 

 fied, or affected in any way corresponding to the so-calh'd fasci- 

 nation of serpents. Keeping its head raised, eyes fixed and 

 tongue quivering, the snake filled with air again ; then again 



