The Press., 1896-06-11
TWO SNAKE STORIES.
TOLD BY A GENTLEMAN WHO IS AWAY
 UP IN sERPENTOLOGY.


 UP IN SERPENTOLOGY.
 Snakes That Should Not Be KilIed-HOw the Black Snake Hunts and Captures Its FOOd-Rescuing n Ship From 8 Python
 Who Had Calmly Taken Possession.
 ''Sit down and sharpen your pencil, remarked MT. Thompson, curator of the geological collection in the park, in an- swer to a request for some snake stories. Before giving you some of my expert ences want to enter a protest against the indiscriminate slaughter of our com mon harmless snakes, such as the black snake, garter snake and the like. Every farmer should protect them, for they are beneficial, instead of being harmful, as is generally supposed by large major ity of humanity. Any naturalist will tell you that the food Of the black snake consists largely of rats, mice, etc., while that of the garter snake is principally insects, such as grasshoppers, caterpil- lars etc.
 ''Now for some of my experiences. In my younger days was crossing Ashby's gap, over the Blue Ridge, Virginia, in company with an uncle of the famous Black Horse Cavalry Ashby. We were making portion of the ascent through quite deep cut, when our attention was attracted by toad, which rolled instead of hopped down the side slope. Ashby pulled up the horse and said, There s black snake after that flllow.' An instant after the snake thrust his head through the fence, and on observ- ing us drew back. In the meanwhile the toad had gathered himself together, and was hopping at a lively gait up the road. Ashby remarked, Now Twill show you something and sprang cut of the buggy and caught the toad, which he carried a short distance and released. Returning, he turned the buggy and drove back down the road some 50 steps, when we alighted and tied the horse Climbing over the fence on the opposite side of the road to that on which the snake had made his appearance we stealthily work ed our way up until we came in sight of the point where he was first seen. Lying down in the long grass and peering through the rails, we did not have to wait long before the snake reappeared.
 "He looked about for Q few seconds, and then descended the slope down which the toad had rolled and followed his trail up the road. On coming to the spot where it had been picked up, he began to circle, precisely as dog would act on losing the scent. He gradually in- creased the size of his circles until he struck tho spot where tho toad had been put down, when he made bee line after it. We lcaped into tho road ;lId hurried after his snake ship, who ;,8 S on as he discovered that he was b. ing fcl- lowed turned up the slope and squirmed out of sight through tho fence. Ashby said, T am sure you arc satisfied now that black snake hunts by scent.
 'Now 1 shall have to take you out to South Africa. I lived in Durban, Natal which is about 1, 1000 miles around the Cape of Good Hope, up toward Mada- gascar. One morning received a note from the port captain, asking me to come down to the harbOr with all possi- ble dispatch, as python had taken pos session of a German brig and I was wanted to capture it. Taking one of my keepers with me, I hurried down, and found quite a crowd on the jetty, among which was the crew of the brig. On in quiry I learned that there had been a shower during the night, and ill the morning the mate had ordered one of the men to go aloft and shake oElt the sails, in order to dry them. He4tarted hn into t177s1 Cl and camo down on the clean run. The tar was instantly ordered to hades and numerous other places, while the valiant mate started aloft to attend to matters on his own hook. No sooner did his head get on level with the top than he came down at gait which far ex- celled that of the disobedient sailor He instantly raised the alarm, and the en- tire crew lost no time ill getting on shore and spreading the report that the rigging was full of the biggest kind of snakes
 "With the assistance of the port cap tain's binoculars I had no difficulty in making 8 critical examination of the entire upper works of the vessel, which was anchored about 100 yards from the shore. The result was one largo python, cOiled around the laps of tho main and tOpmast. Borrowing sack, managed, after much persuasion, to get two of the crew to pull myself and keeper off to the brig, where they left us and turned back to the jctty. I unrove the flag hal yards, made a moose in one end of them and hunted around until found stout piece of reed some six or eight feet in length. Climbing up the shrouds, l make my attack through the lubber' shole by punching his snakeship with the reed, to the end of which I had tied the uOose. He put his head down through the hole for the purpose of fighting me, when he was instantly nOOsed around the neck and the halyards made fast tC the ratlinCs Ill his violent efforts to eff feet 8 release he drew back with such force as rapidly to choke himself into insensibility. Calling to the keeper tC hold the mouth of tho sack open, ] watched until thought he was nearly at his last gasp, when I squirmed up on the top, loosened his coils around the masts, lowered him into the sack, when the keeper immediately cut the moose. By the time that reached the deck he had nearly recovered from his severe wind stoppage. I gently opened the mouth of the sack to have good look at him and discovered from his bloated appearance that he had recently par taken of hearty meal. On the arrival of the crew on board it was discovered that the captains fox terrier was miss ing. therefore concluded that the python, in swimming across the harbor, had struck the vessel s hawser, up which he had crawled on to the deck, swallow ed the dog and gone aloft to digest his meal. Buffalo Commercial
 She Headed Him Of.
 We won't vouch for it, but it is sai(