EBENEZER. 
89 
insects. One day he showed an apparent choice of food that 
was of interest. He had had nothing to eat for several days 
when a pickerel frog was introduced but was not eaten. It re¬ 
mained in the cage till it died and dried up for lack of water 
without being touched. Several days later another was placed 
in the cage. Ebenezer had now fasted for about ten days and 
was hungry. The frog was seized at once and as promptly 
released. Again, he was captured and rejected. The third 
time Ebenezer’s hunger prevailed and the frog was seized and 
swallowed, but rather slowly. It looked a little as if snakes 
might have the sense of taste which is denied them by some* 
Another incident indicated more intelligence than I supposed 
Ebenezer or any other snake possessed. He had seized by the 
side a frog a little larger than any other he had ever attempted 
to swallow. The mouth was worked back to a hind foot and 
the process of swallowing began. When the body was reached 
the other hind leg doubled up beside it and made too large a 
mouthful. Ebenezer slowly disgorged the leg until he had hold 
of the foot only ; held that while he seized the other and then 
proceeded to swallow both legs and the rest of the frog. 
Ebenezer spent the month of August at the beach going over 
the road between Manchester and York four times. When 
taken out for exercise on the sand he showed his tameness by 
making no attempt to get away but crawling slowly towards me 
as often as in any other direction. About the 20th of August 
he shed his skin. His colors had gradually grown duller and 
finally the milky hue of his eyes showed that the change was 
near. One Sunday morning he began rubbing his nose against 
everything he could find in the box until the old skin began to 
peel off at the nose. When about two inches had been worked 
back and off I took pity on him and held him where the old 
skin was turned back while he crawled out and left it turned 
wrong side out and somewhat longer than before. He was a 
beauty in his new dress. The black was jet and velvety; the 
yellow was bright and glistening. 
But alas, poor Ebenezer ! All is mortal here below, with 
