The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-06

cflDeu TO several causes. one OF THESE
is their great fecundity. Prof. Baird
mentions a specimen of E. sirtalis
which produced eighty young at
birth Another cause is their readi-
ness to seek concealment in water, so
that they most readily escape observa-
ton. Several of the species are pug
nacious in their disposition. Such is
the case with the two which have the
widest distribution and greatest album
dance of individuals, the E. sirtalis
Linnaeus and Z. elegans Baird and Gil
rard Their bite, it is needless to re-
mark, is perfectly harmless. Some of
the species possess great elegance of
form, is those of the Z. saurita group.
Others have much brilliancy of color,
as the metallic green of some forms
of the Z. proxima and the red and
black of the Z. sirtalis concinna.
The genus Eutaenia presents espe-
clal attractions to the student who de-
stres an illustration of the phenomena
of variation and constancy in the phys
zeal characters of animals. In few gen.
era do we find so we'll illustrated the
persistence of specific characters ex-
hibited side by side with variations of
the same. We have here, therefore. ex-
amples of the appearance or disap.
pearance, as the case may be, of char
acters in connection with or without
apparent connection with the environ
ment.'
This little garter snake of ours is one
of the most bitterly prosecuted things
in the entire range of existence. All
over the East, and l presume, indeed,
know, it is the case elsewhere, this
really useful and interesting form is
constantly destroyed by the ignorant
and the superstitious, whenever and
wherever they meet with it, In our
walks dc iv
mer time, how often do we see lying in
the middle of the dusty highway the
bruised and mutilated form of one of
these pretty little snakes? Not con-
tent sometimes with crushing it under
foot or hacking it with some tool or
other, its slayer, to make doubly sure
OF its destruction, usually decapitates
the specimen beside. Such a sight al
ways eXasperates me, but there is no
help Tor such brutal ignorance and
cruelty-it can only disappear in time.
and probably with the snakes.
Last summer l caught in Northern
Virginia one of the prettiest and
brightest little specimens of our gar
ter snake that l think l ever saw, and
l have seen hundreds of them. AL
though not more than half grown, it's
markings were very, dark and perfect
and | took my captive back home
time. While it was in full vigor and
health l allowed it to escape in the
grass and among the plants in the rear
OF my house. This was done in the
evening with the hope that it would
make off during the night, and next
morning there was no sign of it any
where. About noon, however, what
should appear but the little snake. en-
deavoring to cross the road in front of
the house, and it could be plainly seen
from the parlor windows Unfortu-
nately for it, it had hardly gotten
more than half way across when a
man came driving along in his buggy.
And, what did the ignorant fool do
but check up his horse, and getting
down into the road pounded the life
out of that poor innocent little crea-
ture with his whip
After this deed, no doubt eminently
heroic in his own blunted mind, ne
gaZed about him to see whether there
were any present to applaud his act.
L dare say the miserable clown expect
ed to see the windows of all the houses
on the street thrown up and express
sions of gratitude of the inmates show
cred upon him for his bravery A bou-
quet or two from some one of the
young women, 1 verify believe, would
not have surprised such a consum-
mate coward. Nothing of the kind
happened, however, and realizing the
| absurdity of posing any longer as St
George and the Dragon, in the middle
of the street, he once more got into
his vehicle and drove away. perhaps
to tell of his noble deed in the bosom
of his family.