Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-19
IN A SWALLOWING MATCH.
Snake Strategy Before the Victor!
Went to the Larger and Stronger.

Snake Strategy Before the Victory
Went to the Larger and Stronger.
From the Springfield Republican.
An interesting episode in snake life took
place in the curious little store run by o. B.
Deane, where there is any kind of a pet,
either dead or alive, that the average man or
woman wants, and some that none want.
For a year or two Mr.. Deane has had a Wig
orous black snake in his window, confined
in a small cage with a turfed bottom. Yes
terday small boy brought in a common
grass snake which he picked up over on
the ISLAND" Without much idea that the
black snake would eat his cousin, though
he had heard serpents were so villainous,
he mad curiosity enough to try it, and slipped
the fellow into the black snakes cage
For time the smaller snake lay .oiled
up quietly at the side of the cage, and the
big fellow not only did not seem to notice
him, but crawled carelessly over him once
or twice. This was in accordance with a
popularity noticed by Mr.. Deane in feeding
him frogs. AS long as the frogs sat quiet
the snake would take no notice of them
but the instant they hoped. flash! would go
his neck, and the poor animals would be
doomed. So it was with the grass snake
He DIDN'T seem to know good thing when
he had it. for by and by he became inquisi-
tive concerning his new quarters and stuck
up his head to look around. That settled it,
for almost as quickly as the eye could see
. the DlacK snake naQ nSeQ MS mouth around
his room-mate's slender neck just behind
the head. Then he began to work his jaws
in fashion peculiar to the snake. They are
loose-actioned affairs, working in nearly
every direction and unjointing if necessary.
He wanted to get his victim so that he would
go in head first, fer who ever heard of
snake crawling backward? So he kept
hitching side of his jaw and then the
other till finally he got all ready to shut up
the telescope, When the two were precisely
head-on the LITTLE fellow began to disappear
suction taking him IN and crooked teeth
preventing him from wrggling out.
But the little snake was gamy and ma lie
his conqueror fight for his dinner. After
about eight inches Of him had disappeared
head first. he evolved plan to stop that
method of procedure. He wrapped himself
around the body of his host about four times
and held on. In eain the black snake suck
ed; he was like the boy that stood on the
burning deck-he would not 60 HIN"
said his snakeship, "this won't do. 1 can't
so he began to shorten himself and swell
up in the middle. as an angle worm does
when you put him on the hook BY tnis
means he gained ansinch or so, which he
swallowed. Then, holding hard with his
teeth. he heightened out again and unwound
some more of his dinner. Then he repeated
the process again and again till all but
about eight inches of the little snake had
gone In. The victim was very much alive
still. and tried new tactics. He threw his
tail around the black snakes neck in two or
three folds. He was hanging out of his
mouth at one corner, out of the way of his
teeth. and the black snake had no purchase
on him. With matters In that state it is
a question of physiology whether the grass
snake would have been digested or would
have eaten up the black snake from the in
side out. But the latter had evidently done
that thing before and knew trick or two
himself. He squirmed over to the side of the
cage and rubbed his NECK vigorously against
the wires. loosenine the grass snake neck
lace mite. By sucking vigorously he got
the advantage of this, and soon the last hold
was broken and his victim slid into The
depths. wrigglng his tail detiantly as it dis
appeared. The process Of entombment oc-
cupied twenty minutes.
Not long after this the black snake was as
frisky ever. and no trace could be seen
of his swallowed cousin which was rather
strange as the small snake was all of two
feet long ard as big around as your thumb,
while the black snake was but 4 IL feet
long and not more than l 1-2 inches IN di-
anieter.