The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-07

shot out his head TO see what 80 was
that had moved. OF the pair in the cage
he is the male. smaller ana lighter in
color than his companion. Mouonicss he
stays. and b. is hard 20 distinguish him
from the dried-up leaves around him. ln
fact DIS head of yclowish brown might
he mistaken easily for heart-shapcl
leaf, withcred aud dead were DO not
for his lignt, ucsA-colorcd. douhle-pointei
tongue. which every second shoots ont
It's thrcadifke tips, trembiingiy inquirng
for sound waves or SAVIOR In the surround
ing atmosphere
Tine frog. .n one Of It's Jumps. had rested
for "a moment ON the bottom of the cage
not fSr from where his nose now s. Af-
ter Il biz Dee comes further out. bending
his neck This way and that examining
the neiehborng objects with the viDIa-
tory tips of his Investigating tongue AZ
last Doe touches the spot where the frog
had momentarily rested. Iie pauses there
and examines the place with Quick-dlp-
ping tongue tips. which ten him n some
mysterious way that his prey is surely
in tine vicinity. Inch hy inch De draws
himself out or the bushes evidently bent
ou further exploration. Were DO day
time he would probably be soundly asleep,
but now. at midnight. he is AN alert.
Clearly ne is bent on hunting. His
more reddish hucd mate is also gliding
down from her coil on the brush heap
above him. She too, hy scent or hy
that wonderful tongue knows that frogs
are near. She means 20 get her share.
Slowly. ever $50 slowly. snc dcsccnds from
the brush pile on the other side from the
male and often pausiug makes her eau
tious way through The withcrcd leaves
that strew the cage floor one OF the
frogs is there. bat she is ignorant of It's
nearnCss 10 is only three inches from
her nose. and yet she doesn't see it, be-
cause ia is motouless rs "a little stone
sticking out of the loaf-carpeted ground
on the forest clad hillside. but the frog
sees we'll and clearly fears. with "a whole
some fear tine terrible enemy approach
lng It's head. which tll now has been
erect. with hulelng eyes gazing over the
surrounding leaves. is bent squat upon
the bottom. IL hardly seems 20 breathe,
Tor It's instinct tells IL that motion means
death Meantime the cCpperhcad slowly
approaches. Her tongue tips touch its
Shiny back and at once she pauses, GER
tain from that touch that her grey IS
before hcr AT the touch of her tongue
fhe frog fakes fright but Yet 10 somehow
fears TO Jump j, simply raises its head.
The movement ir seen by the hungry COP
perhoad. she darts open-mouihed upon u
before 70 has TINE 10 spring away. ana
holds 20 now Kicking i'm her jaws Mean
while her mate follows up the trall on the
second and secures st In Ike manner
They do not hold the frogs in lheT
mouths I'm dead. but swallow them living
With large frogs their method IS dinerent
Not long ago / saw the same copperhead
strike "a frog too large 90 hold ana wait
patiently for over twenty minutes uh
death made swallowing easier. nave
seen O.e same snake attempt 10 catch
and hold "a struggling frog whose strength
was greater than his own. us hchins
was SO vigorous that he could not hoia
n st.l rs fangs gave way and broke
from his jaws so that the frog escaped.
leaving the banied copQerhead so huft
or frightened that ne never looked az IL
again: nor would ne taste food Tor some
weeks afterward. tin new fangs hao
grown fast where the others were wrench
"a from The frog which had escapcl'
however had received SIS death woulu'
and was found and swallowed by the re-
male -.
often when a copDerhead rams 10 '"N'
a frog az the first opportunity, IT'S escape
emhoidens IL 20 Jump again and AGAIN
with startling rapidity. around the cage.
on such occasions the otherwise SLOW
moving snakes Will sometimes show an
unwonted activity. and pursue with NiESf
the fleeing prey. always securing II III 'ne
end This lively pursuit. however Is not
the usual method Of copperheads. lis