The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-16

The surprfs. OF . Naturalist on Discoveries
tho wsy n Ia Done.

III you mover saw q snake climb a tree"
said the naturalist. you have missed n sight
that Is worth going q good ways to sec. 1nover
saw the net myself until q couple OF years ago.
md | could hardly believe my eyes. for I hac
always supposed that when q snake wont up.a
tree 1t climbed bythrowlng itsolf In a spiral
around the trunk and gliding up by
moving round and round 1t. The books
will tell You that Is the way n snakeclimbs u
tree. and will show you pictures OF snakes in
the net OF twisting than selves about tho tree
trunk and working upward toward tho
branches. And tho fact Of tho matter Is. they
don't do nnything OF tho sort.
Il was up in Monroe county. Ia, and one
day went out to look up sono botanical spcci-
mons in a dcop and thlckly WOO led ravine.
whom | sans suddenly upon n blncksnako
clinclng to the side Of II small. rough. barkod
tree. The reptiles head was about ten fcct
from tho around. md its body was drawn up
nv a number Of very short nnl abrupt curves.
Tho straight places between these curvrtures
ntted close III the perpendicular corrugntions
ofthc bark on tho trco for several inches ut n
stretch. and took advantage of every rough
spot o. crcvice in tho bark. both TO
the right aud the loft. I went M to tho foot
OF tho troe, wondering how tho snake had
manageito ger itself IN that queer position.
soon found out. TOR tho reptilo. alarmed ut
my approach. ,gaye me- u most interesting. OK
PLANTATION q Il by loving slowly w the tree
trunk. working the rirvattires OF his long
body IN tho tree with his head raised i've or
siN inches, lust rs Il he ere %ricking his way
he was coming down tho tree. as. his moyc-
,nen,s now and then brought him With his
head pointed toward the ground. but he was
lie did not onro attempt to c~ncirc,e tho tree
With his body. but scaled the side, OF 1t with the
greatest ease, y" went np into the tree nearly
TO- the TOP and then, as l., T.. ',id3t intend t.
lar business. no turned and came down the
tree IN the sS ,r,n.o t"rtnous way that u" hal
s snake ." oscupyin nv at " !e"s9 " %inl NUT Inv i" Ts;cinns
the length Of his body. about elk feet. That
s INN = sumner 'r%s rc ! surprised ~ : = n II &C onni. f 1psc
ened him out. He came down til. tree lust as
exit was a ,irai faster. lie sliasd away through
the grass like n lash and disappenred. The
iIrsusH u the t Ms1S Hs' and !I's s"t dawn in %"9 the
ninntes. and the ie'ma,lr resumed her, place On
r"turn. but in less than ten miSHtrs ! saw, It
stealing, tea CIT %t t, inc ,h grass nEaIT IT. to 1ynai IN, \
started up tic stem again, in the Way I hsyss
; il & SSHi L ot vi s!ss .ii.ea Gs,ssS i t. s sSs e NJ !%G s Tsis:
They flew excitedly about the reptile:
Si!F' II Efforts IN to ''f Tighten nnf t % a%ag, on ss
of snok ne Dea SjrdS WITH % q movement = aty oi ,i st the
swiftness tho blRcksnake struck ut the nird.
seized it by ono leg. and started with tho hut-
trring victim down the trec. thu birds mate
lowering over 1t and striking it ~ilorcely with
her beaS; hurried foIwnr,i ami met the
nswitch. the only thing [ could find to use ns
weapon. The rcptile held on to tho bird in
spite OF my interference. until 1t was near the
bottom. when it evidently became alarmed for
its own safety and released its prey and es-
capped from me and disappeared in the long
grass again. / followed II. but 1t was too quick
in its movements for me and got to its hiding
place. Tho bird ~futtered about on the ground
for q few seconds and then flew back to the
tree. where both it md it's mate chartered
excitsdly for some time. Then the female
took her place on tho nest again. and her con-
sort nercheh on n limb near Ivy and kept guard.
in apparent expectation OF another attack
from it's deadly foe. | remained there an hour
when I wont away the male bird. was still on
guard. The next day the farmers boydiscor:
cred the snake GoinG up the tree again and
succeeded in killing i. 1t was n blue black,
time | have discovered. blacksnakes in the act
Of climbing, trees. and they always went up
tho side OF the trunk. and 1 am satisfied that
they climb n tree in no other way"