Morning journal and courier., 1880-05-21
Price Four Cents.
The Snakes at the Smithsonian In-
 Stitute.


 wonderful snake stories" said one of the at taches of the Smithsonian Institute to the Times correspondent a few days since; land yet many of the most remarkable of the sto- rles are true" This conversation took place as was being introduced to the snake family that spend their lives so lazily in the immense snake cage in the Smithsonian. In this glass case are snakes of nearly all kinds and dispo- slt1ons. Some are exceedingly pleasant look ing, while others will make an ordinary person shudder to look at them. These snakes are long and short, thick and thin and of all col ors, while some are apparently changing their colors all of the time. One of them has bull dog-iooklng head, and is nearly as thick as a bologna sausage, and not over couple of feet in length; while another, a whip snake, is not any thicker than whip-cord, and is nearly six feet in length. These snakes are an in- teresting study to many; but the writer would rather look at something else. T am satis- fed" said the Smithsonian snakologist, ''that more people look at these snakes than any thing else in the museum. They appear to have special fascination for ladies. I can't understand the reason, but it is fact. Ladies will hang around the snake case longer and ap- pear to be more interested than in the contents of any other case. A Bible man said to me the other day, in explanation of this, that proba- ply Mother Eve's association with snakes, in allowing herself to be charmed into eating the forbidden fruit had something to do with it.
 O1 course QO not KNOW WneGner CQ1S 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 tan gled themselves in an apparently inextri- cable knot The snake case is covered with glass so they cannot get out of it. ''Even if they did get out, said the Smithsonian at- tache, in an assuring manner they would do no harm, we do not keep any poisonous reptiles in the cage. The janitors of the building handle them in cleaning out the cage. At first they were scared but after as- suring themselves that the snakes were not poisonous they took more kindly to it. As the snakes are such an attraction we are forced to cater to that taste, and consequent ly we are required to keep up our stock. Snakes are peculiar. They have way of swallowing each other now and then, that is surprising. Four days ago, one of them swallowed a snake that was larger than it. self. After being dead in him for four days, it began to throw of 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 over two inches around, can and do swallow small chickens or frogs alive. The larger ones swallow rab- bits and rats. Nearly all that they eat is talk en alive. After indulging in lunch of this kind, they lay about ill Q 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 con- tact with very gullible visitor to the Muse um tell them the most wonderful stories, and they are swallowed easier than the snake swallows its meals 'tDon'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 1t is gone. We have raO as is eaten up, put another in its place, from the breeding boxes that are kept in the eel lar. Only yesterday we sent one of our men to Florida to catch some rattlers 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 @ long pole on the end of which was a 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 the la goons or bayous in Florida in a skiff, and as he sees his game swimming about, he just grabs them and puts them in his bag. It's very simple thing to do. Oh, yes, there are plenty of snakes that are not found in the water. They are found in the woods, ill clumps of trees, in hollows, or in decayed logs. They are caught in much the same way. Now every man will not make a snake collector, any more than every man will make an astronomer. But there plenty of men, and women too, whose special de- light is in catching snakes. Here is young fellow that goes by the name of ''Snakey,' and who is or was connected with Ford's Opera House in this city as property man. He got his name for his success in catching snakes; and he has nearly always one or two in his pocket. There is also another young man, his name is Russell, about this city. He too always, or nearly always, has a snake in his pocket"
 fba some beauties, soon, from Florida; some real fine specimens, and some of them the largest that have ever been seen. Our collection, being confined to non-poisonous varieties, is necessarily limited; but it is more satisfacto- ry, because all can approach it without any feeling of danger or fright, except that which comes over many people by the bare mention or sight of snakes. Field snakes are, as a rule, ugier than snakes that take to the wa ter. The ordinary water snake feeds frogs, snails, toads or worms. The rattle snakes found up among the broken rocks, on the hill tops. It is easy enough to catch them if you have the nerve. In California some snake-takers make living by furnish ing them to the Chinese, who make medicine out of them"
 f'Men, then, as a rule, who come here, do not take kindly to snaBes?" asked z-----------' ..NG,--ssir,, replied the snake advocate 'tnot one man in ten who comes in the build ing ever devotes five minutes to the snakes while the other nine will simply take pass ing look at them, and exclaim, Snakes ? ain't they uglyy and pass along, looking at the other cases. There was jim jam case in here the other day The fellow had been drinking for some days, and saw snakes i'll his delirium, where no snakes existed. As he passed along here he looked at the snakes, and fairly howled."
 ''I tell you I see snakes, and I am positive of it.
 His friend who was with him, said sooth- ingly, not noticing the snake case:
 "Oh, no, Charley, you only imagine so.'
 f'Look, then. and be convinced" said Charley
 His friend did look---and hurried out of the building, remarking, T didn't know that had been drinking so hard'"
 ''Yes, we buy all good specimens in the snake kingdom that are offered us but we have no need of the ordinary varieties. More of them are offered than we want. We make plaster casts of all kinds of snakes and color them up to nature as you will see by this''-- pointing out handsomely prepared lot of plaster specimens. ''Ehese can be examined by many who cannot look at the real thing, but live snake has no terrors for those who like them. Indeed, it is the dead snake that affects them. Children, as a rule, do not take after the snakes.
 Having obtained this information on snakes, 1 passed along making room for
 
 I did, and received about the same answers in reply.
 The Smithsonian collection of live snakes numbers about 300. Of stuffed snakes there are about 800, and of plaster casts several hundred.
 Meriden has fixed June 16 for it's Sunday school centennial celebration. Superintendent Beach has commenced his annual inspection walk over the Naugatuck road.
 The New Britain Steam Heating Co, which l is to the Holly system, has chosen as president P Corbin.
 The heregular competition for the Connecticut
 Rife Association's prizes at Willowbrook
 occurs on Saturday next.
 A Meriden man has Bible 142 years old, printed in. old type, with 200 copper plates, | first cost was one hundred dollars. | Memorial exercises will be held in Salisbury
 on Saturday, the 29th, and Col H Sprague
 will deliver an oration at the Congregational church.
 1 About 60 men are now employed on the
 work of grading the Capitol grounds at Hart II IL L Il.z