
          951.

* She told us that she had had several small chickens but a "Gayshweller" (spelled as pronounced) had
eaten them.  We could not imagine what she meant. We finally learned that she meant a squirrel
** Viper

and 35 A. [acres] of land.  In front of his house are several plum trees.  Not
far from him, in a little delapidated hut live an old couple, Mr. & Mrs.
Giesel.  They were married only recently, she is 60 and he, 75.  We went over
to the house and found Mrs. G.*  clearing away some brush.  The home stands
close to a marsh, in which we found Habenaria blephariglottis and
Polygalla[Polygala] lutea very abundant.  We took the path through the swamp.
This led us to a little Bohemian settlement and here we were shown
a path leading to F. H.  We soon came to the old chimney, now
one of our landmarks.  In the swampy ground near-by we found more of
the Polygala.  Here, too, but in the dry field, we came upon a snake.**
It was a black snake with yellow markings.  Its head was intensely black.
Its belly was of a gray color.  It was about 3 ft. long.  When we first observed
it we were very much surprised at its peculiar head which was quite broadly
flattened for about 5 inches.  Examined more closely, it seemed to have a
head about the size of a turtle's (box tortoise).  Immediately behind the head
to the right and to the left, extended a ridge.  The head then appeared very
broad at least 3 times its actual width.  From the ridges it extended
back perfectly flat for about 4 inches.  When disturbed, it hissed, and,
one might have thought that here was one of most dangerous of
snakes.  It coiled its tail up for a short distance quite closely, and
        