The Shasta courier., 1867-03-16
Snakes at Dinner at the London Geological
Gardens.

/
George Guyon, in the Science Gossip,
gives curious account of the feeding of the
snakes In the London Geological Gardens:
| As probably not many of my readers
have witnessed the operation of feeding the
reptiles at the Geological Gardens, perhaps
a short ac ;ount of what was seen during
visit a few weeks ago may be interesting.
| 1t was quite by accident that | happened
to enter the reptile house few minutes be-
| fore the feeding commenced, which was late
In the afternoon. Before beginning. the
keeper locked the door, apparently to pre-
vent persons crowding in, AS not many can
see we'll at the same time. He then brought
supplies of the d Terent kicds of prey, and
cast them into the serpents' dens, the DOOM
ed animals being young rabbits, young mice,
white mice, ducks. fowls, sparrows, and
| frogs, which were distributed to suit the size
OF the various snakes, except the frogs, which
were provided for the aquatic species:
The large boa constructors, into whose
case three rabbits. grown specimens, were
introduced, seemed the principal attraction,
but their mightinesses were in no hurry to
dine. As is generally the case after long
watching, | was looking at something else,
when there was exclamation, He's got
1t I and | found one of these large snakes
was coiled round a rabbit. The latter, |
thought, struggled little, but it might be
fancy all remained quiet for few minutes
and then the huge reptile uncoiled himself
and the rabbit lay perfectly dead. The boa
showed no INCLINATION, to eat its victim, but
glided about in anguid manner after the
other rabbits, who showed little sense of
their danger. 1t was curious to see them in
happy ignorance shifting at their dead COM
panion, or up putting their noses to hand
held near the glass. Two ducks were in
troduced into the den of another large boa,
or, rather, believe it was python, which
is the boa constructor of the old world, and
similar in size and habits.
. He moved slowly after the birds, which
showed more fear than the rabbits, but made
no attempt to seize them. While leaning
over the bar, to observe better two or three
loud thumps sounded on the glass front near
my head, and some bystanders expressed
fear lest the glass should be broken. The
attack was so sudden, that it was only when
the keeper requested me to keep further
back that | was conscious that the big snake
preferred me to the ducks. The blows
sounded like those of a mans fist, and would
probably throw person lwn if they took
| effect. BY the quick repitition of the strokes,
it seemed the reptile was slow to learn that
the plate-glass was too strong for its Efforts.
| regretted afterward not having estimated
the size of this python at the time, but from
memory should imagine it to be nine or ten
feet long
Next to these large snakes the venemous
Kinds seemed to attract most attention.
Some rabbits, so young as to be almost help
less, were dropped into the cases of the rat
tesnakes and puff adder. They were soon
struck, but the venom was much slower in
its action than | should have expected. The
bite OF both these species is said to be fatal
to man, yet these small animals survived
about twenty minutes. The bites were
effectively given, as in one instance blood
oozed from the puncturers, and in another it
flowed from the nose and mouth. | paid
particular attention to the act of striking,
having understood that our English viper
does not, strictly speaking, bite-that is,
does not close the avs but with the mouth
wide open drives in the fangs by down
ward stroke of the upper jaw. like the blow
of hammer. The puff adder, however,
appeared to seize its prey with momentary
grip, leaving 60 Immediately.
"A half grown rabbit was given to another
venomous species-I think horned viper ,
but, though the poor little animal was re-
peatedIy pushed up against the reptile, the
latter would not strike. Every effort
made to rritate it. and it frequently turned
round vengefully, kissing like a small steam
engine all the time, but it would not use its
weapons. The glass snakes appeared
more ready to feed than most of the others
Mice were provided for their rejection, and
one of them disposed of two three in rapid
succession. Shortly after. happening to pass
the python's den. bang on the glass APP
prised me that my Ophidan friend was still
bent on making closer acquaintance"