Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-06-11
The Government Collection Of Snakes.


few days since; "and yet many of the
most remarkable of the stories are
true" This conversation took place as
| was being introduced to the snake
family that spend their lives 80 lazily in
the immense snake cage in the Smith
sonian. In this glass case are snakes of
nearly all kinds and dispositions. Some
are exceedingly pleasant looking, while
others will make an ordinary person
shudder to look at them. These snakes
are long and short, thick and thin, and
of all colors, while some are apparently
changing their colors all of the time
One of them has a bulldog looking
head, and is nearly as thick as bologna
sausage, and not over couple OF feet
in length; while another, whip snake,
is not any thicker than a whip-cord, and
is nearly six feetin length. These snakes
are an interesting study to many; but
the writer would rather look at some
thing else. "I am satisfied said the
Smithsonian snakeologist, "that more
| people look at these snakes than any
thing else in the museum. They appear
to have q special fascination for ladies.
l can't understand the reason, but it is
fact. Ladies will hang around the snake
| case longer and appear to be more in
| terested than in the contents of any other
case. A Bible man said to me the other
day, in explanation of this, that proba-
! bly, Mother Ewes association with
snakes, in allowing herself to be
charmed into eating the forbidden fruit,
| had something to do with it. "Of
course do not know whether this is so
or not, but you can see for yourself that
| the snake case is an attraction As
this talk was going on, group of ladies
were looking at the snakes as they
crawled about and tangled themselves
in an apparently inextricable knot. The
snake case is covered with glass, so they
can not get out of it. " Even if they
did get out" said the Smithsonian at
| tache, in an assuring manner, "they
would do no harm, as we do not keep
any poisonous reptiles in the cage. The
ianitors of the building handle them in
cleaning out the cage. At first they
were scared, but after assuring them
selves that the snakes were not poison
GUS they. took more kindly to it. As the
snakes are such an attraction we are
forced to cater to that taste, and conse-
quently we are required to keep up our
I
way of swallowing each other now and
then that is surprising. Four days ago,
one of them swallowed a snake that was
larger than itself. After being dead in
him for four days, it began to throw off
gases in consequence of putrefaction,
and the swallower was forced to throw
him up, otherwise it would have killed
him. Many of the snakes, that are not
over four feet in length or over two inches
around, can and do swallow small
chickens or frogs alive. The larger
ones swallow rabbits and rats. Nearly
all that they eat is taken alive. After
indulging in u lunch Of this kind, they
lay about in half-dead-looking way
for several months. Then as the occa-
sion arises, they take in another meal,
which lasts them as much longer. Now
and then some of the janitors when they
come in contact with very gullible
visitor to the Museum tell them the most
wonderful stories, and they are swal-
lowed easier than the snake swallows its
meals. "Don't you know" said the
Smithsonian boss snake charmer, grow
ing enthusiastic, "that some ladies come
here regularly to look at these snakes
and miss one of them as soon as it is
gone. We have a regular supply, SO
that as soon as one dies or is eaten up,
we put another in its place, from the
breeding-boXes that are kept in the eel.
lar. Only yesterday we sent one of oul
men to Florida to catch some rattler;
and to hunt up some new varieties
Yes, sometimes they catch them with
their hands, but oftener with this kind
of an instrument" pointing to a long
pole on the end of which was double
hooked prong, operated from the hand
end, similar in looks to the long pole
and cutting hooks used in trimming
trees.
"The snake-gatherer goes about tht
lagoons or bayOus in Florida in skiff
and as he sees his game swimming abou
he Just grabs them and puts them il
his bag. Its a very simple thing to do
Oh, yes, there are plenty of snakes tina
are not found in the water. They ar
found in the woods, in clumps of trees
in hollows, or in decayed logs. The,
are caught in much the same way. Now
; every man will not make a snake col
lector any more than every man vii
make an astronomer. But there ar
plenty of men, and women, too, who's
special delight is in catching snakes
Here is young fell1w that goes by tn
name of 60 Snakey," and who is or wa
connected with Ford's Opera-house il
this city as property man. He got hi
name for his success in catching snakes
and he has nearly always one or two il
his pocket. There is also another youn!
= man, his name is Russell, about thi
city. He, too, always-or nearly al
p ways-has snake in his pocket"
! awe expect, said the speaker, " t.
have some beauties, soon, from Florida
some real fine specimens, and some o
I them the largest that have ever beer
seen. Our collection, being confined t.
non-poisonous varieties, is necessaril,
limited; but it is more satisfactory, be
cause all can approach it without an.
, feeling of danger or fright, except tina
which comes over many people by th
bare mention or sight of snakes. FielC
', snakes are, as n rule, uglier than snake
: take to the water. The Ordinar,
water snake feeds on frogs, snails, toad
or worms. The rattlesnakes are foun'
up among the broken rocks on the hill
! tops, 1t is easy enough to catch then
If you have the nerve. In Californii
some snake-takers make a living b.
furnishing them to the Chinese, VIII,
. make medicine out of them"
a "Men, then, as rule, who com
} here, do not take kindly to snakes?"
I asked.
. "No, sir" replied the snake advo
a cate, not one man in ten who comes il
the building ever devotes five minute
to the snakes-while the other nine vii
simply take passing look at them, an
: exclaim, Snakes! amt they uglyP' an
! pass along, looking at the other cases
There was jim-iam case in here tn
= other day. The fellow had been drink
/, ing for some days, and saw snakes i
Z his delirium, where no snakes existed
q AS he passed along here he looked q
the snakes, and fairly howled,
/, "'I tell you l see snakes! and al
positive Of itl'
!. "His friend who was with him sal
|. soothingly, not noticing the snake case
=