NORTH AMERICA. 21 J 
confidering me as their common enemy. The bird 
rofe aloft and fled away as foon as he recovered 
his liberty, and the fnake as eagerly made off. I 
foon overtook him, but could not perceive that he 
was wounded. 
I fuppofe the hawk had been the aggreffor, agd 
fell upon the fnake with an intention of making 
a prey of him ; and that the fnake dexteroufly and 
luckily threw himfelf in coils round his body, and 
girded him lo clofe as to fave himfelf from de- 
ilru6lion. 
The coach- whip fnake is a beautiful crea^ 
ture. When full grown it is fix and feven feet 
in length, and the largefl part of its body not fo 
thick as a cane or common walking flick j its 
head not larger than the end of a man’s finger; 
its neck is very {lender, and from the abdomen 
tapers away in the manner of a fmall fwitch or 
coach-whip ; the top of the head and neck, for three 
or four inches, is as black and fhining as a raven ; 
the throat and belly as white as fnow ; and the up- 
per fide of the body of a chocolate colour, ex- 
cepting the tail part, almofl from the abdomen to 
the extremity, which is black, it may be proper to 
obferve, ^ however, that it varies in refpedt to the 
colour of the body ; fome I have feen almofl white 
or cream colour, others of a pale chocolate or clay 
colour, but in all, the head and neck is black, 
and the tail dark brown or black. It is extremely 
fwift, feeming almofl to fly over the furtace of 
the ground; and that which is very fingular, it 
can run fwiftly on its tail part only, carrying 
the head and body upright. One very fine one ac- 
companied me along the road fide, at a little dis- 
tance, raifing himfelf erect, now and then looking 
4 me 
