The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-07-31

The Western Bull-Snake (Piiyophis
cellona) is found from the Missouri river
to the Rocky Mountains, frequently Of
o length Of six feet, but is perfectly
harmless and Of immense benefit to the
the farmers of the great plains, living
on gophers, ground-squirrcls and rab-
bits-those pests Of the agriculturists
in that region.
Last fall, while driving in my buggy
from my home in Ellsworth, Central
Kansas, to visit friend on Thompson
creek, / saw on the high prairie one Of
these snakes, large specimen Of Its
kind, catch and devour . half-grown
jack-rabbit, writes contributor to Santa
Claus.
The snake dashed at the rabbit like
lightning out from the grass where he
was hidden, Just as drove by, the rab-
bit unconsciously feeding. stopped
my horse Immediately and watched the
strange proceeding; there was blow, Q
little scream, and instantly the unfor-
tunate rabbit was fast in the muscular
coils OF the snakei These movements
were effected too rapidly for my eye to
follow them.
At one instant the snake was perfectly
motionless; in the next he was q mass
Of convolutions around tho involved
rabbit. He had seized his victim by
the neck, just under the ear, and exert
ed his greatest crushing force around
the throat of the rabbit, to apparently
choke 1t as quickly as possible, and at
the same time the coils were tightly
wound around the lower part OF its body
to prevent any movement there. The
rabbit made no sound after 1t was
seized. have noticed they never do,
even when caught by hounds--only q
little scream at first, and that is all.
The rabbit lay in the embrace Of the
snake, with his hind legs stretched out
beyond the convoluted body Of its cap
tor, still breathing with great difficulty,
as could see by the labored motion OF
its flanks; suddenly it made one con-
vulsive struggle with its exposed feet;
but the snake, observing this, quietly
put another coil Of its long body around
them, gave two or three desperate
squeezes, and in few moments the
crushed animal was perfectly quiet
dead!
The snake then gradually uncoiled
himself, apparently Watching or listen
ing for some motion on the part Of his
prey for few seconds; but finding the
rabbit did not stir, opened his mouth,
let 60 his hold Of the neck, and placed
hts head opposite that Of the rabbit.
The snake then got the nose Of the
rabbit into his mouth, coiled himself
again around his body and appeared to
draw 1t out through his folds; he then
began to dilate his jaws, and the
stretching and secretion with which he
fabricated his prey were astonishing
and excessive!
It is we'll known that the lower jaw of
snakes is peculiarly constructed, 30 - to
enable them to swallow masses Of food
entirely disproportioned to their nor
NAL bulk; tho jaw is absolutely dislo-
Gated for the time being. With the ami
NAL completely lubricated, swallowing
becomes relatively easy matter, but
looks difficult and painful.
Holding the rabbit in his coils, which
take the place Of hands or feet, the
mouth was drawn little by little over 1t,
or,in other words, the snake got outside Of
it, as that is the only word expressive Of
the strange way of his eating, until 1t
was all ingulfed by his now ponderous
jaws!
He then lay perfectly quiet for few
moments, his jaw still dislocated; pres
emily he stretched his neck. and then,
by another effort OF the muscles, the
rabbit was pushed farther down; this
pushing force was continued for three
or four minutes, then the jaws assumed
their normal appea rance, the snake
moved of into the grass and drove on.