Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-29
Feeding Snakes.

Feeding Snakes.
| As feeder the snake is very irregular, and
his appetite is always about four times too large
| fer lis organs Of digestion. They havo ,oag
s!uco found this out at the 'Zoo." ald Mr..
BroKu, the superintendent, is just now io @
dilemma to know hou he will be able to 6od
the proper food fox the sarpent fauiiy under
his care. The small species Of lo1d snakes feed
on toads, lizNds gr0ss1orpnrs and ether mem
bers Of the iussos and reptile word ald Mt
times it is very difh1uls to supply the demands
ct these insatiate 'varmiots." Tho king AID
calico soakcs belong to this samo class, bat il
famine should occur those ;wo species are cau.
enthusiastically i5clined, and would weather ths
hard timas by swallowing esch other. -
In tho big case in the snake house sr, tae0ty
SIX boss. tho largest of which is fourteen ieet in
epgth and twenty tour inches in circumf.r-
ence Tho busiaes. Of tho boa is simply to
load bis stomach to replc!ion and thea tic him :
sslf up 10 graceful knot aad dclo cllmly fer
several Nceka, whilo tho spectators eaZs on
him ald Speculate on his easy iJb aId what
they you'd 30 il they were to uuuuunter him
aloue in iGnso with nothing but barlow
kDitc as q wcnpoa Of defense. '-.-
their diet shall be, get your zoooriaa, boa is
something Of au eiicuro ia bis wa?. Nature
has provided him sn! oticr members
OF tho reptile family with un ao,ommo.
datlrg h9ad. the roof OF which in man,
ner I.fss oM aad alIors tho in:rodu,.iou
OF toAthsoDo morSGs that would crowd u
quarter peck measure to bold. Up to tho
ptc:cnt tlrle :h:ss noas:sr boas have b,en fed
upon rabbits and rats, and jus! now rabbits
ard rats arc becoming scarce. Thcy have te,u
tempted with tporiise a1d Inooc mt little kit
tens, snd an occasional pup has been placed at
their disposal, aud ct tmcj spring chickeas
nnd pigeons; but the boa canDct stomach cat,
has little appetite for tic dog, aud goes square
back Oh the foatheIy tribe. Hence it is that
his dict is reduced right down to rsts With DOW
and then rabbit TO regulate his liver.
Every geological garden grows immeusc
crops ofrals, aud rabbits arc poppsd into the
world 10 astonishing uunberI But the ap,
petites OF tho suskos at the X,o have bcca tell
ing oa both families AID the prospect is that
tho supply will shorty have to ho ootaiacd
from tho out eide. E.ca Of lhe twenty six boss
consume ftom 800 to 400 month, aud in the
course OF ycaT they manage TO absorb about
| four toEs OF these little animals. Not long
scce prairie dog was forced into the cage, but
! the big snake OrIg Wukod at BIN aad altoTed
him the libort7 OF tbs inoitslre wi!h9u! motsta'
ton.
Having coiel its bjdy about its little 7iciu,
and squeezed the Iifo Out Of it, the snake pro
| Goods to swallow it lcsurely. Having got i.
back OF its jaws, 1t coils up gracefully. drops IN
| to torpid state, and remains oblV!ous to the
peanut nlu5chers aud nervous old ladies' who
peep at il through tho glass from dayto day
PkiHl. Record.
A NOVEL ADvENTURE.-Mr. Morrck l..
Low and Alderman Deffcabacb, Of Erie, Pa,
were, f,w days aso, seated 10 a row boat ia
tho vicinity Of the Etic aod Pittsburg railroad
dock, in that ti;y, each Ioan having ou. line,
which ho vas holdi0g with one baad aud gently
pulling an oar with the Other After moving
along 10 this nauner for short time, Mr.. Low
exclaimed cxcitedIy: "Ivo gct something! !"
and Immediately began tugging away as his Inc
"h.ud over Gjs." III have something, too2"
shouted the Alderman, aad nc, too. squared
away aud began hsuling 10; and, as may bs sur
missed, 40 exceedingly aulmatci scsno followed.
| Each man land both are muscular, let it be
said appeared to have atoui all be could do
TO nauago bis iisb, besides keeping tho boat
steady, and it became reasonably certain that
each had caught young whsl. or some other
fish Of mammoth proportions.
Attor the struggle had been kept up for
short time, Mr.. Low caught sight Of 60 enor-
NOUS noad os it found cred saysgely in the water
to get loose, and about the same time the AL
dermln bohold tsl splsshiuS and s'irring The
Iaqueous element into foam like the fans OF
propeller wheel. The excitemen. continued 10
lc crease, and as the supposed monster of the
deep was brought nearer tic boatlt turned out
that srgs musa!onse, we2hlog ferry nns
pounds, had been ''hooked 90 to- Dir. Low
had first entrspnsG it by a legitimate bite, aud
az tho Gany suti:cs Tas darclog about tho a.
idsrmsn's hook caught into the fssby pars resr
the tail, aud the two meE thus tugged away In
pulling the fab toward them 10 a brosdslde po.
siliou Tho prize va: finally secured sfter being
towed from the Eric aud Pittsburgh docks to
the beach near tho water works.
/ 10 TAX PAYERs-A discount OF two per
CT will bo allowed upon all city tax bills due for
1879 If paid by Dec. l. 1879. On the End day
OF Dec. 1879 DO diecouns will be allowed, but
five pcr ct will bo added. making difference
Of tcVon p3r ct. uoY24-lW
SOLID COMFORTS. tho b,st COOKING
Stoves, FIRE PLACE Heaters, OTBIcE
STOVES, RANGES, FURNACES and STOVE
Work generally. call 90
STANSbURY Il Bro,
Corner King and Columbus sts.