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FLORA AND FAUNA
Horned Battle Snake.
"Mr. William H. Thomas, of Qualla Town, Haywood Co., N. C.) writes to the Asheville News that a Cherokee Indian, named Salola, captured a snake on the Smoky Mountain, which he describes “of the usual size of Diamond Rattle Snakes found in the mountains of this country, of a dark color—on its tail it has ten rattles, on its head two forked horns of about three fourths of an inch long.” The Indians said it seemed to be a king among snakes of its species. Nothing of the kind has been seen heretofore by any of the oldest white inhabitants."

 From Scientific American, Vol. 8, Issue 4, October 9, 1852, p. 418.

Toad Frogs.

When Zebulon B. Vance died, a relative of the family sent a school teacher in Charlotte, NC an essay written by Vance when he was in grade school.  The essay on "toads" is both charming and humorous.

The small essay reportedly came into the possession of the Charlotte Observer and from there the essay was picked up by The Citizen which printed it on October 28, 1899.  The essay, which the Charlotte Observer declared to be one of his first compositions, was printed as follows:

TOADS

"You told me tell you what I knowed about toads. Well toads is like frogs but more dignity and when you come think of it frogs is wetter. The warts wich toads is noted for cant be cured for they is cronick but if I counldnent get well I'd stay in the house. My Grandfather knew a toad that some lady had trained till it was like folks, wen its master whissled it would come for flies. They cetches 'em with their tong which is ome like a long red workm butt more like litenin only litenin hasint got no gum onto it. The fli will be standing a rubbin its hind legs together and a thinking waht a fine fat fli it is and the toad a sitten some distance away like it was asleep. While you see this fli as plane as you ever see anything, all at once it aint there --- then the toad looks up at you solum out of his eyes like he said, What become of  that fli?  but you know he et it. Thats what I know about toads."

                                                                                 ----  Z.B. Vance