Morris tribune., 1897-05-19
A CANNlBAL BLACK SNAKE.
Caught In the Act Of Swallowing Tiger
snake.

Snake.
While hunting in the Orpuche dis
trict of Trinidad, says a writer il
the New Orleans Times Demo crat
I made my way into the richest part
Of the tropical forest, where clear
ing several acres in extent was be
ing made preparatory to the plant
ing of a new cacao estate.
In the middle of this clearing, sur,
rounded by the dark walls of the
primeval woodland on every side
was an s'ajoupa, or field hut, con
sisting of roof of palm leaves
mounted on posts. Beneath this the
negro oyerseer had swung his ham
mock, and there swung mine also
regardless Of the vampires which
every night fitted in and out at then
pleasure. Into the surrounding
woods and along the adjacent river
bank made my daily hunting ex
petitions.
One day in the thicket near the
river caught young black and
white tiger snake (Spilotes vari.
abilis) and put him into the usual
linen bag, hoping to find others be.
fore sunset to keep him company
Hungry and fatigued, / was return
ing unsuccessful in the evening with
only the tiger snake to console me.
just as ] was about to come out OF
the woods into the clearing / stepped
into a thicket of young palms to rec
onnoiter Seeing nothing from
where I stood, I moved out into the
open, making my way over the great
trunks lying PROSTATE across my
route. Coming to one of these of un-
usually big diameter, l climbed upon
il and was about to jump down on
the other SIDE when I noticed a long
black snake slowly making his way
among the clods and bits of charred
branches with which the ground
was strewn / at once rushed al
him, pinned down his head with my
stick and took hold of his neck. He
was a surprise. I had never seen the
like of him in Trinidad. He was a
jet black colubrin snake and with
out a loreal shieId-a telltale head
plate, the absence of which marks
the deadly elapide, / pried open his
jaws, but found that he was not an
elaps, for he had no fangs, but four
rows of teeth in the upper jaw.
There was, however, a red spot in
the upper gums almost under the eye
in each of the upper teeth rows
Perhaps this is something entire
~ new" thought to myself, as ]
joyfully. slowed him away in the
bag with the tiger snake and con
tinued my course toward the hut.
After supper the overseer and i
chatted and smoked for some time
and then threw ourselves into our
hammocks he to dream of wood
cutting and of snake hunting. The
snake bag was hanging under the
caves of the "ajoupa" so as to be
we'll out of the way and safe from
any animal that during the night
might wander in from the woods. It
must have been somewhere about
o'clock in the morning when voice
from my neighbours hammock
aWoke me.
A'Get up, Z said he, and light the
lamp. There's surely something
wrong with those snakes. There
has been a great scrapping and hiss
ing in the bag for the past half
hour. =
Springing up and lighting the
lamp, I took down the bag and OPEN
ed it. The negro was right; some
thing was wrong. The black snake,
my new discovery, was in the act of
swallowing my, tiger snake. Indeed,
he had him already half swallowed,
and this must have taken consider
able time, for the tiger snake was at
least 5 feet long and fully as thick
as the black one. Wishing to save
my tiger snake, / shook them both
out on the floor and made the swal-
lower disgorge. Then put him back
in the bag, but the tiger snake was
dead. How the other had killed him
i was unable to learn, but he was
evidently a cannibal snake, and l
could store no more snakes in the
bag with him