, 1866-12-30
How Reptiles are Fed ut tho London
Geological Gardens.


Geological Gardens.
George Guyon, in the Scfenes Gossip, gives
Il curious aceount Of the feeding Of the
snakes In the London Geological Gardens:
'tAs probably not many of my readers
reptiles ut the Geological Gardens, perhaps
q short account Of what WAS seen during a
visit few weeks ago, may be Interesting.
1t must be promised that the sight u not
altogether an agreeable one but, nothTith-
standing, 1t seemed to exerclse a sort Of fas-
cinatton over the spectators, and some la.
dies, who kept expressing their horror and
disgust, were nevertheless as eager rs any
To SEC all that was going on. One might 20
there many times without seeing the opera-
week or, as the keeper said, all Fridays
in the year except Good Friday
ut was quite by accident that happened
to enter the reptile house few minutes be-
fure the fetdiDE commenced, which was late
IN the ad;ess"on: tn Before beginning tue
vent persons ffrm crowding In, as not many
can sec we'll ut the came tfme. Hc then
brought supplies tn the different kinds Of
prey. and cast them Into the serpentdf dcns,
the doomed animals being young rabbits,
young u.iee, Wl'tse mice, ducks, fowls, spar
suit the size Of the various snakes, except
the frogs, which were provided for the
aquatic species.
''TAc large lna constructors, Into whose
case three rabbits, crown specimens. were
introduced, seemed the principal attraction,
but their tuIehtinesscs were in NO hurry to
dine. As IL generally the case aftcr long
watching, ! Was lcoking at something else,
when there was an exclamation, ICES got
itr and l found Que of those large snakes
vas coiled around rabbit. The latter,
thought, struggled little. but It might be
fancy; all remained quiet for few minutes,
ind then the huge reptile uncolsea himself,
nud the RI 5bit lay perfectly dead. The bon
showed no inclination to cat his victim, but
glided about in q lanEuid manner asser the
their danger. 1t was curious to see them, In
happy ignorance, snitlliug at their dead CON.
panion, or putting up their noses to hand
held near the glass. Two ducks were futro-
duecd into the den Of another large boa; or,
rather, be1'eve ii was python, which Is
the boa constructor Of the old world and sim
liar in size and hablts.
''1Ie moved slowly after the birds, which
showed MoIc fear than the rabbits, but made
no attempt to eelze them. While leaning
over the bar to observe better, two or three
loud thumps sounded on the glass front near
my head, aud some byslanders expressed
fcsr lest the glass should be broken. The
attack was SO sudden that 1t was only when
the keeper requested nc to keep further
back that was conscious that the big snake
frEltfrtQ ulG L0 Lue UuCht- AuE QiON5
sounded like those Of mans fist: qnd would
probably throw a person down Il they took
effect. By The quick repetition Of the
strokes it seemed the reptile wAs slow 10
learn that tue plate glars vas too strong for
its efforts. regretted afterwards not hay
Ing estimated the size Of this python at the
time. but from memory should imagine It to
DC nine Of len feet lcnS.
"Scxl to these large snakes the ve1omous
kinds scemed to attract most attention.
SoIEc rabbits, SO Young ns to Be almost helm
lcss, were dropped into the cases Of the
ra,tlcsnakes and putt adder. They! were soon
| struck, but the rtnnnl was much slower In
| It's action than shon1d have expected. The
bite Of both Of these species is said to be
fatal to man, ,yet these small animals sur
| vfrcd about twenty minutes. The bites
| were effectively given, as In one instance
| blood oozed from the puncturcs, md in
| another 1t flowed from the nose and mouth
raid particular attention to the act Of
striking, having understood that our Eng
ii>h vipcr docs not, strickly speaking, bite
The mouth wide open, drives In the fangs By
a downward stroke Of the upper jaw, like
the blow Of a hammer. The puff adder,
however, appeared to seize Its Prry with a
,P rs5St Is rqen ana{he,
vcrnnluus specles-I think q horned viper !
hut, though The poor little animal was Re:
| Heatcd}v pushed nr against the reptile, the
latter wn1ld not strike. Every effort was
made to irrstate it, and It frequently turned
engine all the time, hut It would not use its
| weapons. The '%1aee snakes appeared more
| ready to feed than most OF the Others; mice
were provided for their rejection. and one ol
them dis posed Of two or three in rapid sue
cession; Shortly aner. happening to pas
Pr!sed me that MY Orhitlfaa friend WAS still
| bent on making closer acquaintance.
"A stout gentleman, who frequently cx
pressed his antfpat1y 10 the whole serpent
t1ibe, took occasion hr this fresh attack, te
utter some words Of warning. reminding mt
the case, and remarked that the glasses
had on at the time were probably the nttrac
ton. ! replied that the reptile was app
Eently In . state to strike at anything thu
scarcely elapsed when my friend, with h.
little boy, crossed In trout Of The den. whst
| the rython lnndc similar blow at him. Hi
alarm wasludierous; with M exclamation Q
intense horror he staggered back half :
dozen pnees; but fear his activity voult
glass between. The evident desire Of thi
While it Ignored the ducks within ii
tceeh, seemed to Indicate 4 lon2in:
tor .rEes rssy ,ne .n,ke IT *as esn,a sni Ias;
swallow man, but the peculiar structure .
the Jaws in the boa tribe, and their immens
power OF expansion, enable them 10 &c
down animals Of bulk much exceeding
Their own. When these creatures were Eltd
Ing about their dens. great rla7 OF muscl
vns observable through the skin.
''Dnrtng these performances = large bo:
vas brought In b. two laboEtA: II ha
nprr1urcs for ventilation, and cdStained som
large rock snakes. The keeper raised th
lid, and touched one Of the REPTILES, whic
were In 4 hnlftoyr!d condition. This excite
the curiosity Of one Of the ~orkuen, who IL
qrited su1,ously. They hc'ant alive, str, B
theys' Alive! yes,' said the keeper; d
yon want to h4vc one out?' oh no, sir,
vas the quick reply; and he and his compar
lon we're roue in an instant. The cobra at
pears to he one Of tho most irritable species
ihe glass front Of Its cake is partially white
washed, TO hide approaching objects from Il
but notwithstz aaing It strikes against th
glass go fiel luently that lts.muzzlc wH qui'
II took the opportunity Of asking tt
I keeper II he bad eyer observed the boAs lie
their prey before swallowing 1t, rs they Al
~ pu1arly believed 10 do. He replied as e.
pectcd, that In scyesa! years. experience, /
, bad ucrer seen 1t 1occ. II Is no: improp
he. think, that, while the boa Is e141nil
, ing lis rcceatly.ki1led prey to commence tt
!. swnilcvi,sc operation in the most convcnfeI
marner, It t1sv keep d,ckerinE its tongne
! ard rut a* n,c:t serpent. arc In the habit
: dsiuc, and thus may give IN inaccurate O
: server th~ idea tha: 1t was 1lckiu. Its pre-
:, / I Gsr this recount may appear tedious
; minute. but I send II on the chance Of inte