Kenneth Tutus, age 7 of Adel, Iowa, for his question:

 How does a milk snake drink milk?

In days gone by, the farmer would destroy a milk snake he found near the barn. For everyone was sure that this pretty snake was there to milk the cows. Nowadays, we know better. The milk snake is around tr3 barn seeking out rats and‑nice and their nests. Anyone who kills a milk snake is helping to increase the rodent populations

The slim and graceful milk snake is classed as a king snake. He is between two and four feet long.' His scaly coat is covered with barge chestnut colored blotches edged in black against a background of silvery grey. He is sometimes called the house snake because he also hunts rodents near houses and other buildings. Any snake will drink water from a saucer. He will also drink milk from a saucer. But no snake in the world can possibly milk a cow*

Every farm bog knows that not dust anybody can milk a cow. The fob requires skill and know‑how, You need a milking stool and two hands full of fingers. You also need a smooth and gentle touch. P snake is dust not built for this kind of work.

In the first place, he has no milking stool and without one he would nave a, hard time reaching the cowls milk supply. He might try to crawl up by wrapping himself around Bosssy’s hind leg, but Bossy would certainly refuse to stand till for this. But just suppose she did not object to a snake around her hind leg and the snake was able to reach the milk supply. He could not squeeze out any milk, for he has no fingers,

He has no sucking muscles in his throat, so he could not suck the milk from the cow. He has no valves in his throat to keep the milk he swallows pressed. down to his stomach. But he does have teeth, six sharp rows of them.

Bossy the cow would certainly not stand still for this kind of milking.

In days gone by, the farmer would often blame the milk snake for stealing a quart of milk a day. To do this, the average sized milk snake would have to drink his own volume in milk eight times in 24 tours. It is true that a snake can swallow a huge meal. But he could not possibly digest this amount of food.

The modern farmer welcomes the milk snake as a friend, He knows that the graceful hunter will keep down has rat population. He also recognizes other king snakes and counts them all among his friends. These snaky cousins are harmless to man and the sworn enemies of many of our foes. Some of the larger king snakes also destroy rattlers,