The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-07-07
SNAKES OF B0AH00D.
some exIINCT REPTHLlANS TrAT
rae MARVELLOUS ATTRIBUTES


-. Ya,,t,,o AZ. 49,, - ~. ,r,.>,.
-. a. -. .. ~.
1sss ssN 's'ss % s't~ss '''ss es
r,a f5ne -ssf, Vas an -er,hid,su cal
ts,1ate5 r. raase The hair # the small
10. t5s stand N END 33kz the K,r3I8s If the
Ereifa. p5feuu]De Nothing could exceed
The aendlsh malisuifv oi this snake.
whose Powers ot locomotion were In.
fFedibIy swift and whose appetite for
bow was forever on edge. And il was
only by relieving himself OF all impedi.
menta, such as the bucket containing
his small store Of berries or his fishing
tackle and can of bait, that boy was
able TO avoid capture. II was the cur
rent belief that when the blue racer
came up with his prey he swiftly in
folded the unlueky wight in his deadly
coils, crushed tho life out of him and
then deyoured him at his leisure. So far
az history goes and the mortuary records
show no boy was ever out off In the
bloom of bis youth by blue racer. but
disasters Of this kind were only avoided
by the remarkable fieetness OF foot dis
PLAYED on such occasions.
Uis terror paye him sunernatural
strength and added wings to his feet
md tina blue racer was inoontinently
left in the shade. The blue racer. no.
cordipq to n cloud of Youthful witnesses
who have testified thereto was n snake
RANGING from II In Ia peat lone tho .v.
erave length beinu ahont III feet Its
ASPECT was threatening in the extreme.
and its eyes oleaned with n balefnl and
hungry light. Az 1t reared its uely head
four or five feet above the surface in
search of the trembling Youngsters his
undertake. was seen To he Of a bright blue
color. and from thia fact md His swift
movements he reoeiyed his ant and dis
tinpuishipp mama Rlue racers are as
scarce ny hans, teeth noyy
Rnt tho most deadly tba most gra,y-
some and the most appalline snake
known HAYWOOD was the fearful
hoon snake NOW hannilv extinct
This searroa az tho fo,ost u,as Ito bota
noire oP the urehin who was continual.
" in mortal terror of anoounterin, II az
he wandered thronoh tho ,,leoo.nt ,yoods
or nnplea in tho xyaters 81 his fayorite
stream The hoop snake roamed tbe
darksome shades Of the forest like an
nvenoiny Nemesis and like the blna
ruoer was ALWAYS ON the lookout for
boys Tho boon snake differed unioneIv
from all other opbidia. When I'm mo-
ton. it was the habit Of this snake to
insert tbe end Of its tail in ito month
ona bend;no n, boa,, into a nartaot DIV
clio. il wmld roll silently and with in.
oredihle sviftpess thronph the woods
Tbe tail Terminated In n horny snile
baraer than stool in ,vbich ,yas conceai.
ed n sting of the most yenomous ae.
scrintion and WOO hetida tho ohiact
tbot emma within str;Lin, a;sta,oa 30
this fearful >yennon Tho yirns in the
tail WINS far more toxic than the venou,
of tbs rattlasnnke ar the tooth of the
conn,rheaa and xyos svnonvmons with
instant dooth
fortunately no how was ever stunu
Inv ono of thes, snakes His caution his
prudence and proyerbial good luok nj.
ways enabled him tn circumyent the
mnphinntiOns of thu enemy Int III rp-
ouired ceaseless vigilance ON his mart
Indeed hut few boys ever saw one ~
these REPTILES. although wa were we'll
aware of their existence. But Mt rare
intervals some youth favored with OK.
oeptional eyesight and a vivid imaeina.
tion >vould oct "A plimnse If a hoon
snake rolling its way along distant
path.
Another curious snake that used to
interest Youthful students of herpetol.
oey was the glass snake. A far ms
its habits were known. the glass snake
seemed to exist for the sole purpose of
Attending fun for the bows, who. when
they encountered one of Them hit it
across the back with IA stick. wbereup-
ON his snakeship broke into a thousand
pieces, moro or less. according to the
mathematical proficiency of the boy,
..,.; ". az, -, a.. .,,.a,.,,;.,..