The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-26
SERPENTS IN CONNECTICUT.
THE BLACh SNAKES PLENTIER, GGER,
and FIERCIR THAN EYER

UnIr.rni.inR storir. Told by Honest Farmers
climbing Trees for Robins Egg.-The Noe
turuni Bird that the BLACK snake Fears.
NEW BosroN, Conn, May g. Uncle Josh
Peters when no came in from days planting
last evening, remarked that he actually be-
loved he had killed more snakes than he had
planted hills II corn. I've been born and
brought ny IN this 'ero town" no said as he
stood with his hoe over his shoulder talking to
few Of his neiGhbors. and seen heap Of
snakes in nv time. but never seen so many
big black snakes. regular fighters, as have this
season. 1t beats ALL"
How many have you seen to-day. Uncle
JOSH"
Well. now. couldn't begin TO count back
and reckon on 'em up. but there must have been
forty or fifty. Some on cm were little fellows
but there were three black fellows ms big rs my
wrist and should think pretty nigh six foot
long. and they was fighters"
q" Did they nght you2'
Didn't give 'em chance. II I had. they'd a
gone for my throat. They don't bite. but they
choke fellur to death. l amt much skeered
OF snakes II can SEE EN-. but don't want to
come on a bunch Of tho black ones all OF a sud
den. don't know what to make ont Where
do they all como from2"
From all parts OF the State come reports that
confirm Unclo Josh's experience. Connecticut
seems to be overrun with large and fierce black
snakes. There have been found good many
fat heads and copper-colored nddors. and on
the Meridian Hill and in tho northwestern part
OF tho State there are discovered almost every
season n few ra,tlesnakcs but there is no rec
ord OF so many Of the swift and ugly black rep
tiles having been seen and killed la any pre-
vious season.
The frost had hardly got out OF the ground
when two Young OF Brilgppprt RtrplltuK
in tho ravincS near Irumhull. discovered q
nest Of black snakes. They were then Just
coming out OF their torpor, and were still slug
Rish. The young men Killed forty-eght with
out much trouble. farmer named Peckham.
who lives in that settlement in the town ~
Lebanon known ~ Kick Hill, began to clean out
his well q few days ago. He came up in u
hurry he uau seen hall n dozen serpents,
heads projecting from the stones that walled
the well. How the reptiles got there he could
not guess; FOR the well is in his door yard, and
some distance from lny woods. Alter day $
battle no drove out and killed fourteen. Every
one was black snake.
James TYLER OF North Ashford. town near
New Boston in the northeast corner Of the
State, cnlne upon six OF these snakes summing
themselves in his lot. He had neithor stick nor
stone. ana precipitntely retreated. Cutting a
1.-THE walnut sprout he returned and dealt them
A. blow which broke tho backs OF three Of them.
Tho others raised their heads. and with open
mouths. the forked tongues darling like light
ming flashes. sprang toward Mr. Tyler. He
Jumped back, and with the walnut stick leyelcd
two more. The last was So close that Mr.. TYLER
could not use his stick He had the presence Of
mind to lump on H. and was fortunate enough
10 crush its back with his heels. None OF these
snakes measured less than four feet in length.
Meriden farmer reports that he saw. ono
climbing an apple tree in his orchard. As the
snakes head reached the lower branches the
farmer heard tho cries of robin, He then
knew what the sna ke was after. There was n
nest in the tree. and there is nothing n black
snake likes 80 well for meal as robins eggs
rarely trouble owls nests They lose their eyes
II they do: The cries OF the robin brought its
mate, and the two. after pathetic Appeals for
help. boldly attacked the snake. Their pecks
hurt him evidently just enough to anger him I;
he raised his head and darted at them as he
moved along toward the nest. Just MS no
reached it the farmer with a pole struck the
snake blow that brought him to the ground :
but he brought the nest and eggs with him.
About ten miles from tho place where this
battle occurred. and day or two later. Daniel
b. Perkins. middle-aged farmer. was repair
ing stone wall on his farm. He suddenly Eel.
q violent blow against his shoulders and AT
f1rst supposed that limb had fallen from a
uee. Lneh ne let hhother ana he4rd az the
attacked by n black snake. Mr.. Perkins had
had similar experience year or two before,
perfectly harmless. but that II one once gets n
coil about mans neck, its muscular power is
great enough to strangle him. He seized one
OF the snakes-for there were two of them. al
though at first Mr.. Perkins did not know it
and. while fighting desperately. stopped and
picked up an axe that lay on the ground.
beizing 1t near the iron he managed to cut both
reptiles and they at once dropped. Then he
hlltu AhtD Ouf Hlthsll Iftl blA lftls anu mo
other five and a half. Mr.. Perkins says they
would probably have strangled him had he not
had the axe.
just over the Connecticut line. In South
bridge. Mass. Alvan Grover one day last week
while working in his field. came suddenly upon
nest OF black snakes. He at first saw only
two. the others being hidden by log. and he
picked up q stick and struck these two. In
stanty "A dozen or more black heads, with
sparkling eyes and Kissing tongues. appeared
from the log. and dnrted toward Mr.. Grover.
He would have run If running had been OF any
to h I'M h.kNu TOD
but he kept his face toward them and swung
his stick right and left. up and down After a
fight that lasted iully fifteen minutes they were
all dead. or lay with broken backs. Then Mr.
Grover counted them. There were sixteen,
every one over four feet long