Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-11-21
JUSTICE TO THE SNAKES.

JUSTICE TO THE sNAkEs.
nVsvisasssss Of Thisgs rhss Are Ds.AsA
By d Fiippsnt ed rgsosss1
Two popular belisfs concerning ths
behavior OF certain snakes under GER
tain circumstances have been very POSI-
lively mel by some persons with o very
nat and absolute denial that any snake
ever did anything Of the kind.
One thing largely believed and fre-
qesntly reported on the testimony Of
somebody else is the alleged fact that
some snakes at times exercise the power
Of charming or drawing toward them
BY the fixed power Of the serpent's eye
mall birds or squirrels, the purpose be-
ing to make u meal Of the victim. Thk
belief has been vehemently maintained
and a. veheuently denied, the denials
being accompanied by the sneer. you
didn't see this yourself" It would
oem thar those who firmly believe the
report-generally speaking, On the
strength of the testimony of some alb
sent friend in whose word they have
implicit trust-largely outnumber those
who deny; but among the latter are a
few who profess to speak as scientists
The other popular snake story is that
In moments of danger the mother
make of some species will open her
mouth and her brood of babies will
" head first down her throat This,
too, has been dismissed as an idle tale.
Now it so happens that there are at
present living in Hartford two emf
nently trustworthy men who can by
personal experience confirm the actual
truth Of both these two stories, ole
having witnessed the performance fist
named. ard the other seeing the second.
Mr.. Samuel Taylor, of Charter Oak
place, when II boy of l6, lived in Glas-
tonbury There, when out In the fields
one day. his attention was attracted by
the strange actions of a small bird
probably some ground sparrow or per.
haIs ''clippy" The bird paid no
attention 10 hin as he came near il,
bur fluttcred ID u wild and peculiar
way on the patl sometimes t~luttering
UP TO aSow twi a foot OF SC above the
path, and guiiI tluttering Gown. seem
ingly in great 4 stress, and then tapping
up and down. but all the while slowly
getting along in one direction.
As the bird paid no attention to the
boy. and did nothing to get away from
him. the lad began 10 investigate things
In the direction the bird seemed to be
aiming AT. and he soon discovered a
black snake The reptile was cooled,
ard its head was lifted somewhat above
the coil. His gaze was fastened upon
the iuttering bird, and his eyes were
bright and ~glittering. The spectator Of
this remarkable scene waited until the
reluctant and distressed bird had ad.
vanced so near that he was not over a
yard from the serpent. Then he inter
fered. Picking up a stone he hurled Il
at the snake and killed him. The bird
then seemed dazed. confused and help
less. Gradually it recovered, and final.
ly flew out of sight.
II is needless to add that nobody
who knows Mr.. Taylor will for a mo
ment question the truth Of his state
ment. He is one of our best and most
respected citizens.
The other witness is Col. F. w.
Prince, of the Calling Gun company.
Col. Prince was a good deal Of a fish.
erman before he went into the wal.
Once, he says, while fishing on a stream
not many miles from Auburn, n. Y.
he went to a half hollow stump heal
by TO deposit his box of bait. In do.
ing so he disturbed a good sized snake
in the stump, apparently an adder,
about whose head and body her young
brood were disporting themselves. In.
stantly the mother snake opened wide
her mouth, and down her throat ran
the baby brood, one on the heels Tor
perhaps We should say the tail Of the
other.
Being confronted by a fat denial Of
this statement by Mr.. N. Starkweath.
err, of this city, Col. Prince Indignantly
and firmly held his ground. 1T may
do to deny what other people have re-
ported" he holly replied. ''but what I
have seen myself ! am sure of.r-Hart
ford Times.