Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-19
NEW JERsEY SNAKE ChARMlNG.
A Winter port in Which the Charmors
 Hunt With a Fife.


 A Winter port in Which the charmors
 Hunt With Fife. This is the time of the year when all respectable snakes are supposed to be lying in their usual torpor in holes in the ground, and yet this is just the time when knowing hunters are after them in the Hominy hills above this place. The Hominies are noted for snakes even in the summer, but they are more frequented by them in the winter, as their heights offer ex- tra inducements at that time for bur rowing on account of the absence of water, as the steep slopes make the soil dry and the snakes burrows free from dampness. Snakes are in their burrowing rather communistic, and diff ferent breeds often hibernate together. As a rule they try to burrow separate ly, but frequently knots of six or more are found coiled up in a bunch enjoying the oblivion of the winter months, and the half dozen snakes perhaps repre- sent as many different varieties of coilers. They go into winter quarters with the first frosts, and do not usually emerge till April, although occasionally a heavy rainfall or intense thaw floods them out
 The blacl<snaSe is the king of all burrows hercabouts. Blacksnalzes do not seek winter quarters together, but each usually burrows with some other breed of snakes, and because of their strength and devilish disposition they rule the roast. So, wherever a general burrow of snakes is discovered on the hills a backsnake is found to be the leader
 The snake is a sound sleeper, and even when aroused shakes off but little of his lethargy. What awakens him the most completely is the sound of a fife or tin whistle, while even beating o1 tin pans has been effective. The recent great thaw made the conditions favora ble for snake hunting, or snake charming as they call it hereabouts. The object of local snake hunting is to reduce their numbers. because they have of late years become so numerous as to be constant danger and menace 50 huclilcGeSTy pi,kers in the summer, as well as to wayfarers in general. Zcd Jones and q party of three men were out on the main hill, from which the snow had almost entirely disap- paarel. one day during the week, and killed fOrty-Seven snakes, including | blacks, blue chascrs, and pines, which ire the largest snakes found here. Xed | armed himself with an old fife, stationed | himself in a ''coal bottom" al b g.,l | to play. He tuncfully rendered. "Rii!y ! Rnun.i the Flag" and other well-known airs without perceptiblc rc. uits. His companions, armed with clubs, | waited for snakes to appear. They d dn't come, though there was a snake | hole at the side If the bDt tom. Zeti thought it was not warm vnougn to | charm s, a'-cs ou; of their t9i ui: A sa l last resort lie struck up the lively notes | of ''The Girl I Left Behind Me-" and had not played two bars before a big blac;lsnaile drew his drowsy length ! slowly out of the underbrush and into the bottom.
 | It was plain to be seen that the rep | tile was in a stupor. It wriggled slow ly and darted out its fangs nearly every instant It coiled itself up in | sunny place as though entranced by the fife notes Cheered by his success Zed played merrily on, and one after the other three garter-snnl1es, in sort of semi-stupor, came from the same di rection and coiled slowly in the sun light Eventually pine-snal1e joined the quartet, and, though he and the black snake are always at war, they showed no signs of fighting. This, perhaps was because of their torpor. Before the shrill notes of the fife ceased all the reptiles were killed with clubs ant without much effort, as they were too numb to mako an attempt to escape The blaclz-snake was four feet long anC the pinc-snalle nearly q foot longer The largest garter-snal1e measured thre' feet eight inches
 In another place on the hill a burrov of serpents was found. As but two snakes were attracted out into the ali by the music spade was brought int play, and digging down into the eartl a knot of twentyfour big and littl' reptiles was unea1thed. The king o that burrow was a blacll-snake long enough to be continued in our next but rather attenuated by his long fast The other snakes were mainly of tn garter variety. The same party strucl two other knots of snakes, mallin forty-seven reptiles for the day. No all snakes are aroused by music, bu one or more usually come and thu show where the burrow of reptiles concealed.
 '|HTAE KENn @