Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-10-29
chlppY AND ADDER

Details Of = Meeting Of American
sparrow and a Poisonous snake
Down in South Jamesburg. n. j.,
there is a long. winding. sandy road
that leads from the main thOroughfare
mp to and past the state reform school
for incorrigible boys About mile
from the school the road Is cut through
hill and has sloping banks on both
sides.
The natives of Jamesburg know that
portion of the road to be infested by
snakes of many varieties, but the ones
they fear most are copperheads. black
snakes and adders Bushes on both
sides of the slope and a small brook
near by. skirted by growth Of rank
weeds and underbrush, make the spot
an ideal abode Of snakes.
A reporter had occasion to visit the
JaInesburg reform school, and walked
up the winding road. not knowing that
II had an established local reputation
for snakes. When quite near the brook
his attention was attracted to pecul-
,ar noise in bush. Looking toward
it he saw a small field chippy. with its
bill extended. and uttering the strange
gound. The bird was perched on top
branch. and its wings were moving. as
If trying to fly. but it was apparently
unable to do So
The reporter saw on investigating
that a large snake was stretched out
under the bush. with its head erect,
and small. beadlike eyes cast full upon
The frightened bird. He stopped to
pick up a stone. and the motion caused
the snake to crawl away In the high
weeds. The bird ceased huttering for
moment. and the reporter retreated
across the road to watch proceedings
| from a distance.
The bird seemed to recover its self
possession. and began hopping about
among the branches. When it had
reached one of the lower branches it
suddenly stopped. began uttering the
peculiar sound as before and then
hoped to the ground. 1t was evident
that the snake had returned, and the
bird. which evidently saw it also. made
the effort to escape before the serpent
had again woven the spell around it.
As soon a. the snake saw the bird
alight on the ground it coiled itself up
In small knot and sprang at the bird.
The calculation failed, and the bird,
with wings extended, hoped along the
bare road, holding its head erect, and
with bill opened wide continued to
make the screeching noise. louder and
more plaintively than before. The
snake crawled after its intended vic
tim. which was too badly frightened to
increase its speed, and too much over
come with fatigue to use its wings. The
reporter tried to kill the snake.
When the bird saw him raise his
hand it turned sharply away and ran
up the sand bank and was lost from
sight In the field. The snake continued
its chase until he threw the stone. which
fell wide of its mark. Then, when
almost half way up the incline, it
stopped, opened wide it's mouth, and
began pointing its forked tongue at him.
The reporter returned within few feet
of IT, when 1t lowered its head and fiat
tened out until several inches of its
body looked like dark mottled ribbon.
Before II could spring the reporter cut
the creature In two Ii measured over
three feet.
The assistant superintendent said the
snake was of the poisonous fiat headed
adder species, much feared In that
locality. New York Sun.