Davis: Nores oN STATEN ISLAND BLACKSNAKES 61 
seconds, and then flew at the snake lowest down, striking him 
about in the middle of his body. ‘This he repeated twice, and then 
the snake fell from the limb. The bird then flew to the top of the 
tree and attacked the other reptile, which let go its hold after the 
first peck. The catbirds all of this time were looking on, and one 
of them made a good deal of noise. 
Again at Tottenville, on May 24, 1885, three pairs of black- 
snakes were found; also two lone individuals. Some of the eight 
individuals would vibrate their tails in the dead leaves, also one of 
them followed me for about two feet. Both of the lone snakes 
would bite savagely at my umbrella, and one of them left a tooth 
sticking in its cover, for they would or could not let go, when lifted 
off of the ground, after they had bitten the umbrella. 
On April 18, 1886, near the central part of the island I came to 
a blacksnake coiled in the sun. It did not try to escape but 
remained motionless,.as they often do, and would have let me pass 
by. It was poked gently with a small stick, when it showed fight 
and then made off.. 
On October 10, 1886, about noon, I met a blacksnake near Rich- 
mond Valley, and after trying in vain to get it to either run away 
or follow me when I ran, I sat down near to it and commenced to 
eat lunch. The snake was about a yard away and kept nearly the 
same position for half an hour, sticking out its black tongue every 
few seconds. After a while it moved off, going very slowly, nor 
would it go any faster when I pursued, but would turn about and 
offer battle in a mild form. When it moved undisturbed among 
the bushes and grass, it continually used its tongue as if to test 
everything that lay in its way. It had lost most of its tail, the 
remaining stump being very blunt. 
A much more lively blacksnake was observed sunning itself on 
October 24, 1886. It was a young one and made haste to escape. 
On June 5, 1887, I went to Watchogue with Dr. Arthur Hollick 
to show him some plants of Clematis ochroleuca recently discov- 
ered on the Big Hummock, and at noon we sat on a low stack of 
