The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-05-20
A MARVELLOUS SNAKE.

have read with much interest the
discussion about tn joint snake, and
propose to give my experience with it.
/ have been familiar with the "loint,"
or, as we call it here, the "hook-and-
eye" snake, since was a boy. IL is a
snake of a broxnish yellow color. and
grows to be about three feet long but
at any stage Of its growth IL can be un-
jointed or unlocked. 1t Is fastened
together by a hoOk-and eye arrange
ment, exactly Ike those used on ladies
dresses. On one occasion while out
walking / saw j joint snake crawling
slowly along the top of an old stone
wall. Taxing my cane gave il a smart
jerk about the middle Of the BODY and
It Immediately unhOoked into sixteen
pieces, each about two inches long.
Taking the head part and putting il IN
my hat for safe keeping, I gathered up
the joints, and laying them in q row IN
Just the reverse order in which they
came apart, with all the eyes in contaci.
and also the hooks. took the head
part outof my hat and laved Z along
siue OF the middle of the row of joints.
1t Immediately began 10 move along
the line. aud without q moments hest
taiion backed up to the first joint, when
little snap was heard and the tirst
Joint was hooked on. Il repeated the
process, and in the course of sixty-hve
seconds by the watch il was again a
complete snake. Again catching il, 1
took out the ninth joint and also the
fourteenth and changed places with
them. putting the ninth in place OF the
the fourteenth. and then let the snake
go. He gave one or Two wiggieS, but,
finding there was something wrong,
commenced examining his joints from
from his head down. add when he came
70 the ninth took IL ont aud Land it on
one side: then crawling along the rest
Of his joints until be came TO Tire where
the fourteenth ought to be. hut where I
had put the ninth took that out and
hooked it on to the eighth and then put
the fourteenth back IN is place, all Of
which was done in an incredibly small
space of time.
Once caught two Joint snakes. one
larger than the other, and taking out
one joint from the largest snake turned
him loose. He atonce hooked himself
together and started OF, but soon found
that so ething was wrong. stopped and
seemed to be counting his Joints. In a
little while he made up his mind that
he was short one joint, and seeing the
other snake lying near the grass made
a rush for HIM, and coilfng himself
around the middle or his BODY he soon
unlocked a section. and then unlocked
himself Just where l had taken out q
I joint. proceeded to put in the joint he
had robbed his companion OF. II did
not fit very well, beng too small, and
while he was trying TO make it work
easy gave his joint 10 TIE other
i -. l.
! the place of his missing Joint
By this time the big SNAKE happened
I 10 crawl along BY the side Of the other,
and he at once saw that he had one
| joint bigger than the rest: going up
close and examining II carefully he pro
ceeded to take IL cut. and after remOY-
ing the little snakes joint, put his own
back IN its proper place. Then he took
the little snakes joint and laid it down
close TO the other snake, and BY various
winning WAYS c0sxed hin TO hook it on
which he having done they both moved
OIL. might go on and give you dozens
OF other instances, Of the Intelligence Of
this interesting snake. but will content
myself with one which happened on the
fourth Of July.
/ had been cutting wheat with bin
der, and the ground being wet in one
part of the field, the horses had sunk
down TO their fetIocks in the soil, and It
being heavy clay the tracks they left
were lust like so many clean-cut noles,
with the sides perfectly smooth and
about eight inches deep. a joint snake
By some meanshad dropped his middle
joint down one Of these holes ana rs X
was too deep for him 10 reach down and
get IL with his mouth, being 3 very
small snake, he seemed TO be considers-
Div worried about his loss. / stood
Watching him 10 see what the resut
would be. he crawled about amcng
tie stnbb,es awhile and seem TO be
hunting for something. Presently be
appeared TO find what he wanted, for he
Beg 10 gnaw at q small smooth straw
about a foot long. In seventy-two
secon1s he had separated it from its
root, and / noticed he hsd left one small
root attached TO the straw, which was
turned mp now slightly, making sort
Of hook Bringing this straw to the
hole where his lost joint was, he care
fully let IL down into il, and, after
little maneuFering, cot the hook Of the
straw in the eye Of the joint. then pull
ing il mp with his head as far as he
could reach and holding what he gained
with his tail, he soon had the Joint in
bis mouth and then IN its place
Now, 10 is no use for any che to doubt
any longer about there being such 4
thing as a joint SNAKE. for, as / have
said before / could write you dozens Of
Just such instances of the intelligence
Of this SNAKE -OCedr. Ffl4