Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-27

SOME FACTS ABOUT SNAKES.
Marked CRunIbMltsttc rre ferenres Are
Displayed by Certain species.


Displayed by Certain species.
one or the strange. or. as some deem it.
features III snake history is
that the principal food Of certain species
is other snakes. rho feeling as to the
habit being unnatural arises from the
general knowledge of the fact that
carnvorous animals seldom kill and eat
other carrivOra ~ very curious
chance. If it is a chance. and not part
of tho order Of nature among the snakes,
two out of the three English serpcnts live
mainly. II not OF snakes. on other snake
like creatures. The favorte food both Of
the smooth snake and of the adder is the
slowworin. which, though a lizard. is in
appearance not hing but a snake. The
smooth snake is believed to live mainly
on slowworms and on lizards. It's range,
which is very limited. and is steadily de-
creasing. seems to depend almost entirely
on the presene, of lizards.
Writing in 1850. a. l.. Baldry said LAS
lived for some years at Bournemouth.
in Hampshire. formerly its chief habitat
have had many opportunities Of OBJ
serving the coronella Chat is. the smooth
snake.) In the year 1865 Bournemouth was
but very small village. surrounded by
large eXpanse of moorland intersected
by marshy valleys. and was a famous
hunting gorund for either naturalists or
was extraordinarily abundant During the
very hot weather Of the summer of 1865
these snakes were to be seen literally in
scores. Since then their numbers have
gradually decreased" The favorite haunt
hn a Ill ,ln
overgrown with short heath. gorse and
coarse grass. and sloping down to :,
marshy valley where water is at all times
Obtainab!e. There, on some bare patch OF
sand the snake lies. loosely coiled. and
basks in the sun. and there it can, when
thirsty. get water without any great eX-
pcnditure Of energy. Among the under
growth it can also at any time lind its
prey, the common lizard. Very seldom
does any one have the chance to watch
AN English snake hunting and feeding.
They do this very seldom. for Il meal of
some animal such a lizard or IL slow
worm or. in the case of the viper IL
Young bird. a mouse or a young water
rat may suffice them for a week or a
fortnight
The following interesting description Of
tn, manner of hunting of the smooth
snake is given by Mr. Baldry: AS soon
as il sees its victim within easy reach. it
slowly approaches keeping its body con-
cealed. but slightly raising its head above
the heather and coarse grass. When it
gets within striking distance. after re-
naming motionless for "A few seconds it
darts suddenly and with the quckness
of thought at the throat of the helpless
lizard. II its aim is successful, the snake
instantly grasps with its tail a stem OF
heather or tuft of gress, and proceeds
at once to the enjoyment Of its meal. II
! first gradually shifts its hold from the
| throat to the snout of the lizard by slow
and almost imporceptible degrees. Wher
once it has the lizards head fairly in its
jaws. the process of swallowing is rapid
and the strong protests of its victim are
| unavailng. as the snake with its tail
knotted round the grass is able to over
come all resistance. In this way it viii
disrose OF lizard as large round as it.
s.lf and two-thirds of its length
Though vpcrs are very abundant ii
many parts both of England and Scot
land. there is no such general feeling
against them as causing injury to iiocks
a. is current in the Swiss mountains
Doubtless they are there very mischicv
Gus to lambs and kids. In England M
shcpcrd eyer reckons the vipor as among
| his na,ura enemies. except on th'
Cheviot Hills. ON those green mountains
| swnrmng with sheep. the injury dcbitrc
| to the vipers has led to the survival OF
| Il very ancient race of quite wild goats
| These goats, correctly or moi. are believed
To kill numbers Of vipcrs and consequent
| ly no shepherd or farmer ever kills one
or secs ore shot as is occasionally dom"
without rrerct. No one knows how long
| thas" goats have continued To exist rs
privileged animals owning to their re-
puted usefulness: but as the keeping 81
sheep became possible on the Border ART u
tho union Of England and Scotland and
had made property safe the breed may
have an antiquity of nearly three cen
turtles.
| There is 4 very marked difference pe-
tween the effects of viper's bite and
those of the sting of wasp or hornet
| The means of introducing the poison Is
the same in each casc-puncture with q
hollow point Eut while the pain IRON
the insects stings is instant ana acute
| that from the Vpers bite Is AT lrst M
more than IL caused by the prick or ths
tooth. Numbness great drowsinness anc
then swelling and aching follow Inc
| reason is that the poison inpected BY th'
wasp or hornet is formic acid But IN Inc
viper's reservoir above the tooth is /;
far more deadly secretion. the effect %
which is paralyzing. Some five cases 1t
all are on record of children dying from
the bite of vpers. The poison ac's ''rs
on the heart. depressing its action anf
causing fainting. Latter IT causes genera
lbloodpoisoning nf the part anec'ed' Tner'
lis no doubt that the bite would paraiyz'
a small rat in n few minutes ana ina
1.-THE deaths of sheep and cattle ana dos'
form unknown causes are often que u
vipers. Mr. Leighton notes that in Here
Yorkshire a young bullock was foun'
dead with an adder curlcd up beside 1t II
1.-THE summer of l900.-London Spectator
MERELY HIS THEORY.
10 I@