The progress., 1890-11-29
KING SNAKE AND MoccAs,N.
Khe Little Constructors Desperate Fight
With u venomous OphidiAn.
III. king snake is the wonder Of all

Win u NenOmOuD Ophldl1n.
a
The king snake is the wonder or all
cPhicians. A diminutive specimen.
Scarcely more than three feet in length.
set the little fellow is so active. so
wary, and is endowed with such rare
pluck. that, rs his name implies. he is
truly and unquestionable the king Of
the family.
was out after peccaries. or musk
hogs and sat down under a bunch OF
chaparrai near stream of water. to
rest and to eat bit Of lunch. While
thus employed | was somewhat star
tied to see a moccasin come dashing
Through the grass within couple of
yards of me. and 90 dashing head
over heels, so to speak. splash into the
water After him. like shot. was an
elongated streak of bright green In
he went. too. and then | knew there
was fun in store. The water was a
SORT of pool, without much of an inlet
/. or outlet, and. unless going across sand
and rocks or by coming back on shore
again. neither eombatant could es-
cape.
Sure enough. after racing and tear
ing around in the pool like mad, both
pursuer and pursued emerged from the
opposite side and proved to be. as
thought. a cottonmouth moccasin and
Il rather small king snake. The latter
was after the other, however, and be-
fore the big fellow gave up~the race or
could throw himself in an attitude of
defense. the king snake was upon him.
The sole and entire power Of the lat
ter reptile lies in. his wonderful con-
strieting abilities. lie has no fangs.
no poison. nothing to attack or defend
himself with save his coils. but these
are SO marvellously powerful and so
terrible in COMPRISING that nothing
in the animal or reptile world, accord
ing TO size, can begin to compare with
him for this especial quality.
No sooner had the moccasin stopped
and turned to defend himself than like
lightning his enemy jumped upon him
and proceeded to squeeze the life out
of his ugly carcass. Fighter and tight
CT grew the coils, always SO arranged
that the big one could not strike, and
pretty soon the kings body was near
~ lost to view SO slender habit grown
from construction and soIdeep was he
in the fat flesh of the moccasin. 1t
looked like green cord wound tightly
around the latter's body.
At last the moccasin ceased reeast-
ance and allowed his body TO L0lg
loose and inert. For ten minutes
longer did the king snake hold hig
grasp, than gradually 1oosened it. but
always ready to resume his squeezing
should his enemy exhibit any signs Of
life. Finally he uncoiled himself en-
tirely. saw that the moccasin was no
no more. turned his back on the scene,
and went gliding off through the
brush.
In some parts Of Texas king snakes
are quite numerous. In the lowIands
and especially in meadows and river
bottoms. they are found in great num-
bers. Nobody harms them, neither
whites nor negroes, and even 'Mexicans
seem to understand their good quail
ties, for they seldom Nif ever kill one.
When soldiers are in camp and find a
great. many king snakes in the yicini-
ty, they know it is a good sign, for
i poisonous snakes will steer clear OF
that locality. and never visit it whiie
there is one of the royal breed about.
.--1eIas Cor. Philadelphia Times.