New-York tribune., 1882-08-13

be- ready and give 10 me the ointment. when. JudRe
of my dismay a. caught sight Of ms stoiiu race,
with a sort or Gull impartial interest on ~ ,ookng @
at me through the glass in front, ana tne uoor
closed the outside, He had got irlRhteh'u ~
the noise of the ether pythons, ana had queuy
gOue out again.
| was about to make an impatient gesture, when
in that instant the serpent frightened Oh me 80 SUI
denly and violently that moment iarlly lOst c"u-
sc0usness. then found myself staggering anout
the den, fighting for life. l expected 10 ieel ny
ribs give way every moment. yet my chlef rear Il,
the time was Of falling through the glass: i
pushed The reptiles head away from me WITH an
my might lest it should cross my breast. and can
remember catching sight of myself, mul berry-
colored figure, IN tie mirror. knew, too that /
was trampling about over the other pythons. who
furious at the disturbance. were now dartlug auOut
the den above and all around me IN every dlrec-
tiUn 4: and eXerted every energy 10 keep my ieet
for had presence OF mind enough left 10 know that
II I went down 1t would he all over with me. The
heat was sitting. | could bear 70 no longer; the
coOe spun rnadly round and round before my eyes
and everything seemed to flame and roar: ! let 20
the head. The snake twisted sharply back over
nv right shoulder close 70 my face, hut did not te
me. ana slid OIL on tho ground. lust recoiiect
falling against the door with oufstretehed hands
nut nothing more until found my sell sitting on
the step, outside coughing violently, while tue
phlegmatic keeper was puttiug not Key hoWu NY
bock fnr some occult reason. | brought MP a
hUlc blood. and drank Little brandy aller
which soon got better: but was not well eu"nsh
10 walk home. and the bruisc in my side diu hol
fade for many q day. suppose the noe auaI
did not last more than few seconds Dut ioIHu
n quite long enough. Fortunately. the shaN' Hdu
only small part Of her body across my lett slle
and back had she encircled me with 70 whole coll,
/ should have been crushed % he an egssheH.
Curousy enough, my left arm was quite par
alyzed and did not fully recover the nse OF 10 ior
a week | did not know 10 40 the time, but she
must have pressed her tai under my armpit. ana SO
compressed the nerves. The accident was one OF
the stupidest and most preyentable IN the world
and was entirely owing 10 my taking the WrOu :
man into the cagc to assist me. | NAV ada tuat l
went IN some days later with the proper Keeper,
ami performed the operation. not only Without
danger but without the least difficulty.
That ~erpents may be discrmnatlyely atectlon-
ate toward individuals. beyond the mere instinc-
tive absence OF fear. everyone who has kept tnen
must know. To those who have not should be
happy TO allow my own pets 10 prove theIr case.
Can snake have sufficient intelligence 10 ue
raluusl jealousy is perhaps the nearest approach
10 q rational attribute, showing some mental
process OF logical inference or deductlon when
animals evuce | don't press the point. but merely
give the fact that IOtsev nv boa one oi the gen
TEST and best-tempvred of snakes, who lives IN a
cage in perfect peace with ;wo pythons, an ana
,unda. a rat.snake. a wHsp-snahe ana several
others will invariably bite them, If | take them
up when she Is on my shouider.