The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-10-02
THE JOINT SNAKE.
A L,oNG-DiSPuTED QUESTION Nv
NATURAL HISTORY SETAT REST

An Imaginative Marylander Gives His
Agile Fancy Free Swing on a Monn-
mental Snake story--And Could Write
Dozens More OF just Such.
have read with much interest the dis
crssion about the joint snaI Q, and ,Topose to
give my experience with il. have been famil
lar with the "joint," or, as we call it here,
the "hook.and-eye' snake since i was n boy.
1t Is a snake OF brownish- yellow color,
and grows to be about three feet long, tlt
at any stage Of its growth it can be ua-
jointed or unlocked 1t Is fastened to-
gether by a hook-and eye arrangement, ex-
actly like those used on ladies' dresses On
one occasion while oat taking walk / saw
a joint snake crawling slowly along ths top
OF an old stone wall; taking my cane gave
il a smart jerk about the middle Of the
body, and it Immediately unlocked into
sixteen pieces, each about two inches long.
Taking the head part and putting 1t in my
hat for safe keeping, / gathered up the
joints, and laying them along In row in
just the reverse order i'm which they cane
apart, with all tao eyes in contact, and also
the hooks l took the head part out Of my
hat and laid IL alongsi 10 OF the middle of the
row Of joints. 1t immediately Logan to mo o
along the line, and without a nome It's
hesitation backed up to the first joint, when
q little snap was heard and the first joint
was hooked on. 1t repeated the FRO ,tss
and IN the course OF sixty-fve seconds by
the watch it was again a complete snake.
Again ca.ching it took out the ninth joint
and also the fourteenth and changed places
with them, putting the ninth in place of tho
fourteenth, and then let the snake 20. lie
gave one or two wriggles, but finding there
was something wrong commenced examining
his joints from bis bead down, and when lie
clme to the ninth took IL out and laid il on
one side, then crawling along the rest Of
his joints until he came to where the four
teenth ought to be but where / had put the
ninth, took that out and hooked 1t on TO the
eighth and then put the fourteenth ack In
its place, all of which was done in an in
credibly small space Of time
THEY GOT THEIR JOINTS MIXED.
Once caught two joint snakes, one larger
than the other and taking ont ono joint
from the largest snake turned him loose.
He at once hooked himself together and
started of, but soon foun that something
was wrong, stopped and seemed to be count
ing his joints. In little whilo he made up
his mind that he was shot one joint and
seeing the other snake lying near
In the grass made rush for him, and coil
ing himself around the middle OF his body
he soon unlocked q section, and then un-
hooking himself just where / had taken out
joint proce eded to put in the joint he had
robbed his companion Of 1t did not ft
vcry well, being too small, and while he
was trying to make it work easy gave his
jo mt to tho other smaller snake, who at
once hooked 1t in the place Of his missing
joint
Ey this time the big snake happened to
crawl along 10y the size OF the other, and
he mt on,e saw that he had one Joint bigger
than the rest; going up close and examining
1t carefully 10 proceeded to take it out, and,
after removing the little snakes Joint put
his own back in it's proper place Then he
took the little snakes joint and laid il down
close TO the other snake, and by various
winning ways coaxed him to hook IL on,
which Ia, having done taey both moved of.
| might go on and give you dozens OF other
instances OF the intel,igen OF this interest
ing snake, but will content myself with one
which happened on the 18th Of July.
HUNTING FOR LOST JOINT.
had been cutting wheat with binder,
and the ground being wet in one part Of the
neld the horses had sunk down to their fet-
locks in the soil, and it being heavy clay
lAe Ioc@s tncy isIt were JUST ike SO many
clean cut holes, with the sides perfectly
smooth and about eight inches deep A
joint snake by soms means had drop ped his
middle joint down one OF thes, holes
and as IL was too deep fer him to
reach down and get it with his mouth, Ie-
ing q very small snake, bo seemed to be con-
siderably worried about his loss. stood
watching him to see what the result would
bs. He crawled about among the stubblo
awhile, and seemed to be hunting for some
thing; presently he appeared to find what
he wanted, for he began to gnaw at a small
smooth straw about foot long, In seventy
two Sc econds he had separated 1t from its
root and noticed he hal left one small
piece OF root attached to the straw. which
was turned up now slightly, ma<ing a sort
o. hook. Bringing this straw to the hole
where his lost joint was he carefully 1t it
down In 1t, and after q little maneuveriag
got the hook Of the straw in the eye Of his
joint, then pulling II W with his head as lar
as he could reach, and holding what he
gained with his tail, he soon had his Joint in
his mouth and then in its place
Now, 1t is no use for any ons to doubt any
longer abou. there being such thing as a
joint-snaso, for, as l said before, could
write you dozens Of just suSh instances Of
the Intelligence OF this snake. -Catonsvills
tMd-) Cor. Chicago Inter Ocean.