Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-05-21
A Marvellous Snake.


eye" snake, since was a boy. 1t is
snake of brownish yellow color, and
grows to be about three feet long, but at
any stage of its growth it can be un-
jointed or unlocked. 1t is fastened to-
gether by hook and eye arrangement,
exactly like those used on ladies' dress
es. On one occasion while out taking
walk l saw joint snake crawling along
the top of an old stone wall. Taking
my cane gave it 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 it in my hat for safe keep
ing, gathered up the joints, and laying
them along in row in just the reverse
order in which they came apart, with
all the eyes in contact, and also the
hooks, took the head part out Of my
hat and laid it alongside of the middle
of the row of joints. 1t Immediately
began to move along the line, and with
out moments hesitation backed up to
the first joint, when little snap was
heard and the first joint was hooked on.
1t repeated the process, and in the course
of si1ty-five seconds by the watch it
was again a complete snake. Again
catching it, took out the ninth joint
and also the fourteenth and changed
places with them, putting the ninth in
place Of the fourteenth, and then let the
snake 90. He gave one or two wriggles,
but, finding there was something wrong,
began examining his joints from his
head down, and when he came to the
ninth took it out and laid it 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 four
teenth back in its 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 at once hooked himself
together and started off, soon found that
something was wrong, stopped and
seemed to be counting his joints. In
little while he made up his mind that he
was short one joint, and seeing the
other snake lying near in the grass
made rush for him, and coilng himself
around the middle of his body he soon
unlocked section, and then unlocked
himself Just where | had taken out a
joint, proceeded to put in the joint he
had robbed his companion of. 1t did
not fit very well, being too small, and
while he was trying to make it work
easy, l gave his joint to the other small
er snake, who at once hooked it in the
place of his missing joint.
By this time the big snake happened
to 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 it carefully he proceeded to
take it out, and, after removing the lit
tie 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 win ming
ways coaxed him to hook it on, which
lie having done they both moved off. |
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
4th Of July.
l had been cutting wheat with
binder, and the ground being wet in one
part of the field the horses had sunk
down to their fetlocks in the soil, and it
being heavy clay the tracks they left
were just like so many clean-cut holes,
with the sides perfectly smooth and
about eight inches deep. A joint snake
by some means had dropped his middle
Joint down one of these holes, and as it
was too deep for him to reach down and
get it with his mouth, being very small
snake, he seemed to be considerably
worried about his loss. | stood watch
ing him to see what the result would be.
He crawled about among the stubble
awhile, and seemed 10 be hunting for
something. Presently he appeared to
find what he wanted, for he began TO
gnaw at a small smooth straw about
foot long. In seYenty-twO seconds he
had separated it from its root, and | no
ticed he had left one small piece of root
attached to the straw, which was turned
up now slightly, making sort Of hook.
Bringing this straw to the hole where
his lost joint was, lie carefully let it
Gewn into it, and, after little maneuv-
ering, got the hook of the straw in the
eye of his joint, then pulling it up with
his head as FAR as he could reach, and
holding what he gained with bis tail, he
soon had his joint in his mouth and
then in its place.
Now, il is no use for any one to doubt
any longer about there being such
thing as joint snake, for, as said be-
fore, could write yo1 dozens Of just
such instances of the intelligence of this
Centrer,He Nd Correspondence.
"Say, pa" said the Infant Irrepressi-
BILE, "a boy who takes messages is q
u,assanoar ain't he eD