New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-08
TALES or SNAhES.
From The Bradford O1sercer.


a friend of mine had python packed ready 10 20
TO the Calcutta Biological Gardens this Is a very
large snake of the boa constructor spcclcs) II IVES
put i'm a small box with batons DaIicd over tie top.
But the snake objected TO the imprisOnmt ut and
whilst the box was IN the veranda, preparatory
10 going to Calcutta it PIT rs strength az lnst The
batOnS and raised them from their holdings. Hear
ing the cracking. my friend went 20 see what was
mp ard the snake reared its huge head ana bit him
on the hand. Here a pretty 60. II
monty reported that pythOus were not ycnomous,
bat is apt 10 question the accuracy Of such state
ments when snarlng from the bite of one. Ny friend
was not long III deciding 10 help himself lie
sent down TO one Of the manufacturing houses for
n small piece of live charcoal. He tied his wrist 20
post of the yeranda. and put the charcoal on the
wound. When endurance became longer impossible
ne took the charcoal oil. Ii Is 10 disgrace 20 my
friend to say he felt Ill., The excitement Of being
bitten by possibly yenomous snake Is sufficient TO
upset one without the immense STRAIN upon the
nervous system caused By eHGeayoTiDg to burn tie
poison ont My friend hand remained in a bad
state for o long while. hut eventually healed so
have adopted The bel eff that python bites are not
fatal. GunpOwdcr Il sometimes employed rs
curative 8gentj a little being spunkei II TIE
wound and exploded 1t Il supposed that this acts
does charcoal IN burning ont poison. only much
more eNpedtOusly. But The idea OF exploding AGn-
powder a wounded limb u rot pleasant and T. apt
10 make one wonder how ones head would feel 10
The fearful venom Of snake bite is fully seen in
the deaths which occasionally occur amongst e'e'
plants. IL II Tie general practice 10 trtt,rrephants
f3re-ioet at ngIl and let them loose IN the jungle.
NheJ lying down asleep they are sometimes Ditien,
and httlc poison from small snake soon circn-
lates through tie massive beast. and results IN
death.
As was passing through the jungle on one .occs-
sion n teariu, odOr assaiIcd me, and toldtle
natives with ne 30 make search forIt After awhile
they came across python IN state Of g. M. lie
stencil was caused by the dec0mpoSirg head ola
small deer when was ~ the snakes mouth. Sh0nd
mere mention mat Wien large thinEs % th!s hiua
have 10 be swallowed the jawboues IN
snakes head dis.ocate. aud so make room
for far larger subsi auce ban tuc s. ze OF rpte
Hf L.. nasfl ID. Dol "a
mouth. his deer had small horns and had eyi'
IDENTITY been swallowed from behind, otherwise the
horns womb have somewhat lmpeded the passage;
The natives said That probably tie python had
caught hold o. the deer II was feeling wound IL
self round the body, crushing bones ana causing
death, then straigh ened out the fore and nd legs,
and swallowed IT. Ii was marvellous 10 think Ok
this beng done. and the python gaming the victory
over feet and active deer The snake scarcely
gave any sign of lite and one of the people with me
killed 10 with an axe. Then we cut the body open,
and found the deer. witch was rapidly dec0mpos ug
Narratng the occurrence aflerward TO a mahOut
elephant drver) was told that that was nobrg
in comparison with what snakes were able 90 do. |
might remark here that IL a European IN India ex'
presses surprise at ANYTHING To native lie IS in-
variably gwen 10 understand that ho has had bu,
glimpse OF the remarkable occurrences which take
place in the country. The mahout ! menti'n SAID
IL was nothing for snake To swallow deer. and
then entertained me with the following veracious
narrative =" A herd of wild elephants was roam
ing through the country once, aud after STAYING
some while at a salt spring began 10 pass on. one
however very large animal, stayed lttle UeulhN,
being, in fact, the last to leave tho spring. As ne
was Fastening 10 Join the others, snake who had
been watching in an adjacent tTeel threw IT. body
the elephant passed by, and, keeping hold OF
the trunk OF the tree with Its extremity, caught
hold of the elephants hind Lex. The monster
stopped and TUNED round TO see what was
better hold. and wound itself found
the elephants body. Then commenced tho tug OF
war. The elephant saw what was the matter ana
began to pull. But could not discOnueoi the snake
from the tree. Neither gave way, and the puiiiDg
continued with fearful yigor until a cracking Was
heard. Suddenly the great tree around which the
ualy ITS lateral roots began to appear above the
earth. the trunk to totter, and finally the topmcst
branches crashed 80 the ground. But the most mar
velous palt that the trunk, having wido-SEeaa'
ing branches which rested on Tie gl0uhd was
raised great distance from the earth. he sa"Ae,
which still maintained It's hold both on II ana the
elephant, was holSted up with the trunk and loon
the elephant with 1t. Next day party OF villagers
out for hreWoOd, when short distance from the
tree. saw the novel sight OF an elephant suspehH'a
apparently IN md-aIr Upon closer Inspection tbei
found snake was the connection viii the lfoe ana
man goG through the branches OH TO the tnnA,
cut through the snake, which immediately ieH "
the ground With the elephant and was erushed IN
the fallb This llind0O legend needs no comment
Snakes do not got at an where pigs are AeD 10
fact the former are almost strangers Ia The presence
OF the latter Pigs are sometimes bitten but 40 hos
seem TO die, they bite at, and eat. snakes without
ado upon coming across them. Whether tue s'Is
poison from taking visible effect, or whether lho
thick coating OF fat which generally hnds place upoi
he frame of pig prevents the snake poison nom
reaching the blood vessels. do not know AT al
events pigs attack snakes with lmpunlly.
An old-fashloned weather Indicator IN Enganu
was bunch OF sea weed hung upon the walls or
house to tell whether fair wet weather would 10
the order Of the day. ! have seen snake Skn' an.
swer the pur pose being stiff and dry when VIC
sun was out, aud gradually becoming limp upon
storm approaching. .,
Snakes lay their eggs In clusters o, seven eight
Those | have seen have been rather smaller tnab
igeons eggs. epd stuck together though they hao
ruu ono into the other. 1 bayc hoard of Sonthar
eating them, but cannot say whether this 10 ~.
snould think IL highly probable,