Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 November 1895 — A Winged Kentucky Snake. [ARTICLE]

A Winged Kentucky Snake.

Jackson Watson, the well known Parksville merchant, has discovered a new specimen of the serpent family. While hunting in the knobs back ol Parksville, Ky., yesterday, his attention, writes a correspondent of the Cincinnati Enquirer, was attracted by a peculiar whirring sound in the air near him. Quickly turning his head he was amazed at the sight of a snake flying through the top of the bushes along the roadside. Mr. Watson being an experienced hunter, was not so overcome by fright or astonishment that he could not Are liis gun. Taking careful and deliberate aim he fired at the monstrosity with a load of bird shot. It fell. Hastening to the spot Watson found that he had not killed, but simply wounded the thing, which had somewhat recovered its power of locomotion and had begun to wriggle away in true serpentine fashion. Mr. Watson grabbed a forked stick near at hand and succeeded in capturing his prize, which is now the wonder of the village of Parksville. Robert Smith, who lives near the ground on which the snake was killed, says the snake was about eighteen inches in length and near an inch and a half through its thickest part. It appears to be of the black snake variety, and aside from its wings bore no other peculiar marks. The wings were attached on each side and about midway of its body, and were somewhat of the color and construction of the wings of a bat.