It is not probable that the snake had its mouth open; its dartingtongue may have given that impression.

The other incident comes to me from Vermont. "While returning fromchurch in 1876," says the writer, "as I was crossing a bridge...I noticed a striped snake in the act of charming a song-sparrow.They were both upon the sand beneath the bridge. The snake kept hishead swaying sluggishly from side to side, and darted his tongue outcontinually. The bird, not over a leg away, was facing the snake,hopping from one leg to the other, and uttering a dissatisfied littlechirp. I watched them till the snake seized the bird, having graduallydrawn nearer. As he seized it, I leaped over the side of the bridge;the snake glided away and I took up the bird, which he had dropped.It occasionally was too frightened to try to fly and I carried it nearly a milebefore it flew from my open arm."