New-York tribune., 1897-02-21
SN.4kES.
THE WINTER TENANTS OF AN OLD WELL

THE WINTER TENANTS OF AN OLD WELL
From The Granite Monthly
Not far from my hone is a field bordering the
highway which contains something quite enter
tanning 10 me and which may not ne wholly with
out inter"s; TO the readers of THE Granite Month
The field on the side opposite the road is joined
by 2 fringe OF alders and white birches. THIS
the mornins and evening hours his loud booming
cries awake the echoes. Here among the wild
red-winged blackbird seeds from the tops of the
alder thickets on the other edge OF the field
ing i'm summer a cool delightful shade for the
dusty traveller. and one Sian, elm. reaching out
his proud branches oichty feet more above the
earth, and seeming 10 draw haushtlly aloos from
the more humble AT his side.
But t. is not the naples and their neiehbor. the
neither IS it the meadow but den OF snakes
Years ago there old farmhouse with its
they were moved away. and the cellar filed
up with rocks and dirt Beneath the elm is the
rocks ana covered with dirt. This well is my
Black snakes. striped snakes green snakes: wood
snakes and adders; snakes long, short. big and
well for nearly six months in the year.
They do out until the latter part OF
in their underground home. After the ground has
been thoroughly warmed and the sun IS shining
the first Of May / have seen three black heads
sticking out of the ground from one mole. Go near
More commonly, one will agpear at a #, time ne;
First win his nose Just S6 IN rs5 sEh a9va he maE 5e ne ea a
of the ground Mex day he Is bolder ana stays
for hours rising about six inches from the mouth
tree above him. Approach nearer and the head
sways slightly and he backs out or slght' But
warm days of summer have actually begun. He
will sneak out when you are not looking and es-
The adder does come out in the am manner @ OF
the black snake. He may lie Tor day or lW9
with his just visible. In order 10 get warmed
up, but when he gets ready 10 come OUT ne zoe
so without any reconnoitring. ] have never seen
an adder's head raised above the ground when h.
is ready 70 come out In ms deh the pitch
snakes predOmnatc, there probably being nan
dozen of these TO one Of any Other KIND. Adders
and wood snakes These are smaller than their
neighbors and quicker darling back into the mole
ver2 suddenly when YOU approach. / have seldom
EclS T3 -, "arti,ra arJ 81 these but nearly
every spring ! get some black ones ana lew
adders. The Longest snake captured from ms % zen
was a black one. five feet four inches long. Ihey
will probably average about four feet
have never seen as many snakes here since as
there the first spring the den was discovered
Perhaps 1t Is because 90, hOl W%tCn W. IiI'In IL. 81"
closely as | did then out 90 not thlnK as many
found these snake holes one day by accident ana
MOI having much else TO do watched tnc pace
very closely, and killed large huInper DE nei@dr 3
they were warm and nimble enough To escape IOF
al hrs; they are numb and stupid sometimes I'M
patient az the SLOW motions OF SOM olu . L,iIO"
who did not seem inclined 10 snow, NOR, u-all - .
feW inches of his head and neck, would, creep
As near as possible un1bserrcd by Keeping penlhq
the old elm. then. by making quich sS fuSn' b
could back into the ground. Even men tnt!
would resist so firmly as sonnet ucs ] W Ipr a'pe tb"n
let 20 their hold from the ROCKS p-I9W. "aEe
never & Sen ba i,noV some way to find the den, for
since the first spring the numbr. htS H"l 80 S' NJ ~
TO diminish. and each spring adte' me tb rom
is warm and dry ! expect 10 see " plI'A H''u
Sticking out Of the old well under The en-