The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-04

out this manure-heap during the summer
and decide that il would be proper place
to winter in, Or il they didn't how came
the whole thirty-nine to find it? Probably
my experiences during the autumn just
passed win give the true explanation of
this puzzling question.
His NeishbOrs, the Snakes.
My house is situated in the midst of thick
woods, with here and there some rocky
hillocks, open sunny spaces. and frequent
ewamps. I have had every opportunity Of
observing the proceedings OF my ophidian
neighbors, as well during the heat of the
past summer as when the weather began
20 grow cooler. During the ordinary sum
mer weather. l found that the snakes We're
scattered generally through the woods, liv-
ing vagabond life up and down, here and
there, so that you could very seldom meet
with more than one at a time. But mark
the change which occurred later on.
When the cool nights toward the end Of
September warned me 10 increase my
clothing, 1 noticed that the snakes had
also taken heed of it, for | now began
TO find them five or six together around
sunny rocks or in some sheltered perch
of sunshine in the thickest copses. After
few days l would find that they had
left those places also. moved on, like the
true Migrants that they are, to some 9TH
er place of sojourn.
Getting Ready for winters Sleep.
About the middle of October 1 saw
quite number of garter snakes on a
rock-croWned hillOck not far from my
house, where l had often sought for them
In vain during the previous month of Sep
TENDER. l didn't disturb them, for l was
CAD to have the opportunity of observing
their movements, as the weather grew
colder, in hopes of finding out something
about their Information. For about a
week they stayed around the rocks. Dur
ing the daytime they would bask in the
sun. five or six in the space of a few
yards. If 1 approached too close, they
would glide In beneath the rocks. Several
times during the week l visited them at
night, and found them always coiled I'M
der the stones. But one night it came
on much colder than usual, and the next
afternoon, when I visited my hillock not
a snake was 20 be seen, neither under the
stones nor elsewhere. / concluded that
they had felt the nipping wind of the
previous night, and had moved away in
search of some more favorable location
Very rarely after this cold wind did l
meet with a snake In the woods OF
swamps. They had deserted the rocky
hillocks, and all the other sunny spots
where I used to see them
oSoA AohAAd Jul WAiNiE Some OF them
had gone. In one corner of the grounds
attached to my house there Is an old
well, now disused. Once only during the
summer had l found a snake az this
well, and that was at a time when water
was scarce in the woods. But now wher
the cold was fast driving the snakes from
one retreat TO another, I one day noticed
several Of them summing themselves by
the well. For two or three days l saw
them there, and then found that they
had either left this place TOO, or else
stayed closely hidden away, for l saw
them no more.
Five Snakes in n Cellar.
About this time also I found the fresh.
ly cast skin of large water-suake in tbs
cellar Of neighbors house; it had evi.
IDENTIFY gone in there to hibernate A search
IN my own cellar revealed very inter.
estng state OF things. Under a pile o.
rubbish / found five garter snakes com.
1ortably coled When / discovered then
they put out their tongues but didn'
otherwise move. so I fixed up the plac,
as u was before, and left them 20 continue
their winters sleep. Since then l hav,
looked az them several times, but hav,
found them always In the same position
But the cellar is not the only part o.
the house where the snakes have com,
IN to hibernate. Since the weather grew