425 



western paper, in which was stated that one of our large innoxious 

 snakes was killed, which had swallowed a rattlesnake, except the 

 tail, which with its rattles projected from the mouth. The state- 

 ment lacked the mention of names, thus affording no clue for a 



The old residents of the Pines say that the Pine Snake will fol- 

 low a person, but that if you approach the reptile, it will at once 

 turn to escape. This habit, indicating inquisitiveness and timid- 

 ity, Mrs. Mary Treat informs me that she has herself witnessed, 

 in the woods at May's Landing, N. J. 



I have received statements from long residents which make it 

 highly probable that the Pine Snake lays its eggs in the sandy 

 soil, where it is dry, and of course somewhat higher than the 

 swamps and streams. Also, I believe that the skunk (Mejihitis 

 chinga) has much to do with keeping down the increase of Pituo- 

 phis, it being, in the Pines of New Jersey, somewhat expert in 

 finding, and voracious in devouring the eggs of this snake. 



Desirous to know whether the Pine Snake does carry the vin- 

 dictiveness towards the rattlesnake imputed to it, and any other 

 facts that might help to a knowledge of the life-history of the 

 species, I would be glad to see notes on this subject contributed 

 to the Naturalist, either directly, or through the present writer. — 

 Samuel Lock wood, Freehold, N. J. 



A Literary Gem. — In that comedy of errors which one C. G. 

 Giebel caused to be printed under the title of Thesaurus Ornithol- 

 ogia>— that treasury of blunders — it is hard to select the cham- 

 pion error. But the gem of this precious collection is perhaps at 

 p. 96, where we read : — " Lining, J., extract of a letter with his 

 answers to several queries sent to him concerning his experiments 

 of electricity with a kite (Falco).— PhOos. Transact. 1755, xlviii, 

 757." 



Shade of Ben. Franklin ! — with a kite ! ! —Falco ! ! ! Why did 

 not the accurate and scholarly Giebel say Fqlco longicaudatus— 

 for the kind of "kites" referred to, as every little boy knows, 

 have several yards of tail ! This ornithological item is given under 

 head of « Anatomy and Physiology." We sighed, and mechani- 

 cally turned the leaves back to look under "B" for Burton's Anat- 

 omy of Melancholy, but the inconsistent Giebel had overlooked 

 this ; perhaps he thought his book sad enough already. We beg 



