The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-05-28
THE JOINT SNAKE


Dosens More Of Just Such.
I have read with much interest the dis
cussion about the joint snake, and propose
to give my experience with it. | have
been familiar with the joint or, as VIC
call it here, the "hook -and-eye" snake since
| was boy. 1t is snake of brownish-
yellow color, and grows to be about three
feet long, but at any stage of its growth it
eau be unjointed or r'uuhooked. 1t is fast
eucd together by hook-and-cye arrange
ment, exactly iko those used on ladies
dresses. On one occasion while out taking
walk l saw joint snake crawling slowly
along the top Of an old stone wall taking
my cane | gave it 4 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 keeping,
gathered up the joints, aud laying them
along in a row i'll 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 along
side Of the middle row Of joints 1t immedi-
atcly began to move along the line, aud with
out moments hesitation backed up to the
first joint. when n little snap was heard and
the first joint was hooked on. 1t repeated
the process, and in the course of sixty-fyc
seconds by the watch it was complete
Ep - I
ninth joint and also tic fourteenth and
changed places with them, putting the
ninth in place of the fourteenth, and then
let the snake SO. he gave one or two
wriggles, but finding there was something
wrong commenced 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 fourteenth
onght to be where l had put the ninth,
took that out aud hooked it on to the eighth
and then put the fourteenth back in its
place, ali OF which was done iu an incredibly
small space Of time.
THEY GOT THEIR JOINTS MIXED.
Once | caught two joint snakes one lar
ger than the other, and taking out one joint
from the largest snake turned him loose.
He at once hooked himself together and
started off , but soon found that something
was wrong, stopped and seemed to be count
ing his joints. lu a little while he made
up his mind that he was short one Joint
and seeing the other snake lying near in
the grass made a rush for him. and coilipg
himself around the middle Of his body he
soon unlocked a section, and then unhook-
ing himself just where had taken out
joint proceeded 10 put i'll the joint he had
robbed his companion Of. 1t did not fit
very well, being to small, and while he was
trying to make it work easy gave his joint
to the other smaller 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 onc joint bigger
than the rest ; going up close and examin-
ing it carefully he proceeded to take it out,
and, after removing the little snake Joint,
Put his OWE back i'll its proper place. Then
be took the little snake joint and laid it
down close to the other snake and by var-
GUS winning ways coaxcd him to hook it on,
which he having done they both moved off.
| might so and give you dozens Of other in
stances OF this intelligence of interesting
snake. but will content myself with one
which happened ON the 4th of July
HUNTING FOR A LOST JOINT
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 a heavy
clay the tracks they left were just like so
many clean-cut holes, with the sides per-
fectly smooth and about eight inches deep.
a joint-snake by some means had dropped
his middle joint down ono 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 watching
him to see what the result would be- He
crawled about among the stubble awhile,
and seemed to be hunting for something
presently he appeared to find what he wan
ted, for he began to gnaw at small smooth
straw about foot long. In seventy-two
seconds he had separated it from its root,
and noticed he had left one small piece of
root attached to the straw, which was turn