American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-14

lowed prey of the rattlesnake, which was
quietly enjoying the slow but sure process
| of saliva-coating his evening meal. With
| out ceremony the black snake seized the
rattlesnake Ivy the throat and demanded a
| disagreement. The rattlesnake, in his
stolid manner, refused, but made no dem
| onstration. He lay at length and evident
~ trusted to his powers Of endurance and
his fearful fangs for protection. His
antagonist now released his hold
and seized the part of prey left outside,
sensibly concluding that now or never he
had q chance, for the inwardly- inclined
teeth of the rattlesnake are surely sending
the morsel out of sight forever A vio-
lent jerking succeeds no better, and now
he quickly sends coil upon coil around the
rattlesnake, putting in operation his
greater power. The rattlesnake keeps his
hold with praiseworthy tenacity; his eve
flashes with rage; his head is swollen to
the utmost. His assailant is thoroughly
in earnest; he is all action. A great COM
motion is aroused among the other
snakes. The member from Florida re-
tires TO the gallery; the second rattle
snake is awakened into activity by the
plaintive cries of the halfswallowed rab-
bit, and the black-snakes are darling
search of more prey.
A crowd of interested spectators had now
collected, many of them ready to bet large
ly and variously on the result. There was
now first-rate -'' snake fight at hand
certainly, and there seemed to us no rea-
son to doubt that the black-snake would
win by crushing the other to DEATH We
were doomed to disappointment, for the
tender-hearted Mike could not see his pets
endangered to crafty us, and he wisely
essayed to part 'em.''~ This was task of
no little difficulty. He pushed pole
through the coils. of the black-snalxe and
shook him vigorously for awhile. At last
the beast released his hold 80.
1t is urged by some naturalists that the
blacksnake does not exert crushing
power by the coil. On this occasion, GER
tainly, our specimen seemed ready to en-
circle his enemy to some purpose. He did
succeed in wrapping coil upon coil around
him, causing enormous distension of his
jaws, but not quite releasing his prey from
his teeth. What might have occurred had
the battle lasted longer we cannot say 1t
seemed as if the continuance of such
crushing power would result tlisastrously
for the victim. When the black-snake
struck the rabbit it instantly and adroitly
used its coils to arrest it, managing them
as a man would his hand to grasp a steady
object
1t is a singular sight. that of reptile
swallowing prey apparently SO much
larger than itself The devouring jaws
are flexible to the utmost and the under
jaw is SO articulated in the middle that=it
is completely flattened in the act of deglu-
tition. The whole region of the jaws and
fauces is. SO flexible as to admit of enor-
nous distension, while the teeth, being in
clined inward, easily assist the slightest
movement in driving the food down.
The black-snake, which is so common
all over our country, has the reputation of
being particularly bright and Intelligent.
1t has a curious habit of rustling the
leaves with its tail when disturbed; and
this is said to resemble the whirr of the
dreaded rattlesnake. 1t darts quickly at
the object of its rage, and inflicts "a wound
though not a poisonous One.-N. r POST