The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-24
TREE BORING SNAKES.
Tales Suppressed because rark Commits
siobcrs Are Not NnturnIIsts.

sioners Are Not Nnturnlists.
The policeman at the Tooth street entrance
of Central Park was in an unusually laxative
mood one night last week considering the mum.
her OF wheel men that wanted to scorch who
were passing in and out Of the Park. The medi-
tative way in which lie curled the left side Of
his auburn moustache betokened the pressure
Of unusual and interesting information against
the lips just below. Even the bend of his head
showed an uneasy desire to tell somebody some
thing, so It happened that an acquaintance
drew up alongside and said cautiously:
ITS a fine evening this those that aren't
hiking are walking. eh?"
We'll. I guess yes. All! There he goes.
See 'im-quick.
A man riding very erect. with gray whis.
kers. gray hair, and a tawny suit went past at
a good pace. and 1t was at him that the police
man pointed.
THAT man called my attention., Just before
the trees began to bud. to some curious holes
In certain of the trees up on that bill yonder.
He Is a-wcll. a man who thinks that we po-
licemen are not strict enough here in the Park.
and do not keep the small boy properly sub
dued. Said he TO me-:
why can't you make those youngsters stop
running the trees here in trying to get the sap
from them? See these borings h,rc-thev've
been ut work right under your nose
1T did really look bad. because there were
holes a quarter of an inch or more in diameter
and three inches deep in several Of the trees.
from which the sap was running fairly fast.
] touched my finger to the drops and tasted
the sap, finding il slightly sw eetish. and i
though OF course II ould never do to allow
them to continue to tap tn trees If we could
the utmost care. but 1t was several days be-
fore | learned anything Of value.
Blu patience, tells when one Is ex ercising
ms IptpIttNn tHlRnt nm ~ / NUQE with mn
Early one morning. when the wind was un-
usually strong. / happened to be walking up
attention was attracted by n branch. as |
took Il to be. projecting from the side of a
form that ! stopped to examine 1t from a dis
tance it is always better, you know, to take
IN the surroundings, when studying natural
history. As | looked a strong gust of wind
came along and the branch waved a little.
then, astonishing as It may seem. took the
Visibility. When the wind died away a bit the
branch assumed its former irregularly crook.
ed shape and there hung. Quivering a little.
! cautiously, approached somewhat nearer. and
then made the di Is that it was a make.
which the snakes tail was out of sight. l had
You sec, when the wind was very strong, the
snake. by assuming tho Corksrrew position.
az to .et IL, whirlinG., Further, each OF this
Kind of trcc-boring snakes has IA hOrn-likc sub
stance On the END or Its tail. which serves as a
drill aud bOres into the bark and wood.
Il understand that there are other varieties
of snakes OF thi. family having horn-llkc end.
inpS to their tails. among which IL the hoop
snake, which rolls down hill ard at thu pro. or
moment strnightens out and .hoots through
the air like a spear and 30 kills its prey.
have read of two binck-tailcd deer that were
pierced by ono of u ESQ living prnicctiles. hut
do not place the natural history work in which
Did you ever Tell the man who called your
attention To tho holes how they were boredf"
asked the acquaintance.
No" the policeman said. ~ did not.
feared lest he communicate the circumstance
10 the professors at the Mn scum of Natural
History, md they, in turn, would have told the
public OF It,. The men at headquarters are
not nGturallsts, and policemen who ser
snakes more especially remarkable oles, do
not find favor In their eyes"