HAWK V. SNAKE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2133, 24 May 1889, Page 2

HAWK V. SNAKE

A. ourlons combat wai wltaMied ofi* reoent Sunday by a resident of Cavendish* remarks the " Hamilton (Yiotorla) Bsm* tator. ' He sayo : — " Whon diifteg<along neat Cavendish, my attention wa* to a large snake gliding and gitttWfeg Iq the lun, and a common grey hawk darting down npon It. The sbake appeared anxloua to get to oover; but this War not allowed, as the hawk swept m pp^iQ It from right to left and from left to tight, In double qolok time, and was braVelymat on esoh oooailon by the make, sometimea 3ft from the ground. The hawk eridently wanted to take some, of the strength oat of the reptile, and this It loon, acoonv pllshed, as the snake's Borings sb'oniM* oame leas rigorous. The bird now ohanged Its mode of attack. Beatjog .for a few seoonds three or four yards distantf It woqld dart Id, olatoh the snake with it* talons, and hold on a ■tiort tlme^ wWoh appeared to be no e»sy matter. Am tha ' the fight beoame more fast and fqrloos, the hawk aeem'ad to lose' all fea.r^and closed with the snake, when both 'rolled about like a ball. The bird, when Imt* Ing, after one of these exolting rounds* reoelfed a stroke whioh sonnded Ilka tha oraok of a whip, and feathers were seen to fly . The brave bird took a long** rait on this oooailon, making op lti mind for • final straggle. Sweeping m, it laid bold of the reptile joafe behind the head, whin all the writhing of the snake ooalbT not secure release. The hawk then brought Its beak iuto play, and aoon had the head of Its enemy bruised and bleeding, 'and tried to oarry off its pr.'ia ; but thta #ai more than it had strength to do, as it oould only dreg It »long. The snake was of the brown species, 3ft 6in m length, and thlok m proportion . The hawk mart bare been struck many times with the fangi of the reptile, but whether they oovld not penetrate the feathers I cannot say. " -