The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-08-02
LACK SNAKE STARVES
AFTER SUMPTUOUS FEAST
Cmbes Hornets Nest Escape Shower Devou AL Home
Coming Occupants and Perish from Pangs of Hunger Be
cause His Body Had Sweled Until He Could Not Get Out

Taken at its best. starvation is
bad" said Richard Blankenship. the
Capitol elevator conductor. astute po-
litician and eonnoisseur on chewing
tobacco Tuesday. 1t is especially
lamentable when 1t fastens Its gaunt
and tawney clutches on an animal or
reptile after a prodigai feast.
II was impressed with this most
forcibly few days ago. when Jour
neyed out to see d friend In Hanover
county" continued he.
II strolled down near a clump OF
trees by myself and laid down under
the sheltering branches OF a small
red oak to read. After l had been
there but a short time l heard the
rum hlings of thunder and arose to
hurry to the house.
las / brushed Off my clothes, !
happened to look down on the ground
and there sat large blacksnake wrig-
Cling along through the grass at
breakneck speed. Before I could get
a stick with which TO kill him--and I
have the honor to have killed many
snakes, among them the largest king
snake ever sent to glory in Virginia
the snake ran up TO the trunk of the
tree and suddenly launched forth In
the air Until 1t made that flying leap
/ was not awart OF the fact that a
hornets nest dangled from lower
limb. But II did dangle there. and
the bIacksnake hurled himself into
the hole at the bottom.
After he entered i saw the nest
swinging to and fro. and satisfied my
self that he had curied up In the nest.
Small drops OF rain began to fall, but
| stood under the tree waiting to see
what would happen when the hornets
began biting the snake. The drops
increased in size and number until /
was forced to seek shelter under the
spreading limbs OF the tree.
When / found spot where the
rain would not strike me. l was stand
ing directly under the hornets nest.
Looking up. l peered into the open
mouth of the snake. which complete
2y covered the hole.
LAS the rain grew harder. the hor-
nets began to fly to their nest. The
snake kept his mouth at the hole and
the hornets-there looked to be a
million of them. flew into the snakes
mouth. and he gobbled every one of
them up.
After the last 4of the hornets had
flown into the snakes mouth and the
rain stopped falling. the snake stuck
his head out of the hole and tried to
descend from the nest, but he could
not. / stood under the nest watch
ing his frantic endeavors and saw him
dig his fangs into the nest trying to
tear the hole larger that he might
get hts hornet-stuffed body out. but
he had eaten too heavily and his body
had become so enlarged by the mess
OF hornets that he could not get out.
Another shower came up, and ] hur-
ried to the house. leaving him In the
nest.
RI told my friends at the. house
of the incident and asked them TO
give the snake ample time to get out
and then chop the branch down and
open the nest to see II he had extri-
Gated himself. This morning / re-
ceived a letter telling me they had
cut the nest open and found the
snake buried in the top of the nest
and starved to death. He had evil
IDENTIFY given up hope Of getting out
the bottom and started to work TO
carve hole through the top. star
walton overtaking him In his labors."