, 1875-01-16
SPARKS OF SCIENCE,

being OF delicate creamy hue. and tho Bh owJ
splasleA sl,Fink1od over 1t OF \ dark brown vary
Ing to bright chestnut. It is gay creat,,re,
Ard, sometimes attaining Icngth Of IL foet and
a diameter Of or incos, nny DO regarded as
an ornamental foaturo OF Tie forests, Of quito
notable account 1t Ia perfectly harmless, OK
! ccpk to toads, birds. and othor small animasa
Which aro tho aerront's natural prey hit 1t is
irritable IN disposition AMI vonts its dIaploa a,lrs
Ia An appalling bollow. Tho Isov. Sam,lcl Ioclt-
| wood, I'll. D., has chcrhhcd several specimens
Al household pats for number Of years. and
wrisea to the Naturalist detailed account Of
thcir hnbIts.
The eggs OF tho snake arc as largo a. those Of
an average bantam fowl. Twelve voro laid In
two cluaters Of flyc aud aevcn respectively, ono
thinner day, by ons at DR.. Lockwoods pets
Which measured 6 feet In lougth aud was rs
large round ~ mans wrist. Tic eggs in eaci,
cluster wero ngg1utinatod together silo by side.
An nt:ompt WaA tnado to latch them iu = box Of
sand, hut without SUCCESS.
Tho pi,le-Hnhko drlMka Aftnr the manner OF tho
horse, laying its head upon tho water, letting
ths lower Jaw fail below tho surface aud draw
titg tho liquid Into tho mouth, Tho process IL
conducted leisurely. On one occasion, Dr.
Lockwood timed it by tho clock and noticai that
the anAke drank exactly nys minutes without
tnhing breath. It tEcn paused for three ln,n-
utea moro. Tho amount Of water consumed was
littlo over gilt; but tl,e Buako had not In
dullgod liz potatIon for four weeks previous.
III swallowing It's prey, the snake commences
by series of slight bitches, occurring first on ono
Rtuo OF tho mouth and then OIL tho othcr. When
timed. 1t MAS found that twenty minutes we're
conalstnod In tho passage Of a rat down the
Rniles. During this time tito throat WAS COM
pletely stopped, 80 that respiration WAS absolute
ly checked. Before suaIlowng It's ric:in, tue
ptne-Bnake does not Intricate it, rs ia thu habit
with soine others OF tho family. Tlle remarkA-
bio canaclty Of abstinence from food which per-
taing to aornentn MAS shown By one Of thoHe in
Dr. Lockwoods possession Which did not snaI-
low morEel for an erltiro year.
In producing tho below for which tho pinn-
snake Is particularly distinguished, 1t fills tho
thoiax. and sometimes its wtluls length Will,
air, which 1t cxpcls with blowing noise like the
roar OF bull, aud described ~ q tru!. fearful,
formidable sound. Wtito pouring out tho vol
un'e Of air Which occasions ths sound, tho ansko
is said BY home to emit powerful aud olreuslvs
odor; but whether this comos from tho mouth,
has not bean determined.
In casting on its skin, Dr.. Lockwood observed
that the snake occupied about thtrty-fivo min
utes. The process Of exuviatiou begins at the
snout, where tne old skin, Which is At the time m
very soft and moist, first breuks. Tho move.
mont OF The snake during tho event Ia liae that
Of crawling out OF tubular case. There il no
friction against any outward object. The snake
simply cteepB out Of it's old ord Uorn-out Rkin.
ln observing the excremen. IT tLn snake, 1t was
noted that, three weeks after the reptile had
swallowed two rats succession, 1t voidrd. first
clenr liquid, and immediately nfter small hea,
Of granular powder. Of deep straw color, On tho
top Of which WAS little mass Of hair, tho ony
undigeBted portion Of its meal. Not tho small
est particle OF bpno had becn ojuctod.
oELATINe.
Tbs American trade in gelatins Ia said 10 en-
ploy several million Of dollars annually, and in
E,,ora In ba NJ .t,,, oroator v.,n. 11'a nn..s.
torr. -, 49, s,,o,s - ks" % pu.eaI .st,
tol'n W .aS stsle'o l7 kno"n nA lslns's8e' which
eeveral species Of nsh, especially of tho stur-
coon. These tiasuea are c1cnnsci anil driet
forming vba. IA tcrmad ,ear.;sInvl.ss ~ thar
~ 4.-:r.ss - 1 .'st"sn W 'noy
aao s"ietoa in'o various 'osinss callea long ahd
bhort staple or they are folded into packages,
called book-is;uelAsu, Tho production of iait-
e1asa uset1 tn be lim;ted tn r,,itx;a wbercn. nov
1.rao ,.rt;,,.. -.,s,,,,.aI -, u,,,. ~"
"a .a4so au@n'i..es A'e rtoaueeo IL JUL" t'aeIich'
tho East Indies, tho nudson's Bay Territory, Now
York, and CAnada. The manufacture Of the
Russian fBinglnse, which is still esteomed the
best III the MARKET is as follows:
The blaaders are placed In hot uatar. carefully
tudiually. aud exposod to tho air with tho inInr
delicate sifyery membrane UPWARDS. Whon
dried. this tue membrane is removed by beating
aud rubbing, and the Dladdor Is then made into
Ga.tn. !. .,ro,.,~., ,-o,,, ,,,.x -, ,,,,,.,
substsnccs, bit Chiefly from The softer parta
OF the hides OF oxen aud calves and the skins Of
sheep. and also from bones: etc. The method Of
tleat4he aAih-pasancs ana nida-clippinGs ie itst
tHa,, tx t0 s ,,e.as @ nt is ssa ~ eus
weak, warm solution Of oaustie soda for a weot
or ten days. From this they Ara removed to m
nlr-tight chamber. whero they are kept for
m,1 n9mo t,mo iam. "a 'ompetasnfe OF ~ deg.
coiJ A watcr - bisnc,"~ IN tha fuossa ~ ~
SULPHUR. and final wasting: after which thew
ars s stoasd , in po;s nntl tie @ so!atine is dis;
poured out in thin layers that, whom sufficiently
cooled. arc stretched out OH netH to dry. Ma
chinory is employed to cut tho gclasins into the
delicate st1ips in which it ia usually sold.
An Inferior golatine is made III France from
bones aud other parts of animals It il said Tint
tho enormous number Of rats which are killed 10
tbs sewora and abattoirs of Parss. after their
skina aro taken of arc wholly consumed by tho
gelatine-makers. Tho French manufacturers
havo superior art OF clarifying these Inferior
gelatines and, by coloring tho thin, transparent
plateB, render them rory attractive aud fue-