Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-08-19

Antwerp which laid me up for several days l
mad observed this snake a female, about IA feet
long, In one of the dens. and from the white
eforescence about her lips. knew that she was
suffering from carries of the Jaw with liberation
OF the mucous membrane so fatal to snakes in
confinement: and having pointed this out to n.
Fekemann. the resident director, obtained his
permission to make a trial of an ointment which
believed had found effcaciOus in the early
stage OF the disease among my own snakes.
The four reptile dens in the iiOn-hOuse at Ant
werp are not 80 cOmmOdiOus as those in the
London Gardens, notably in the absence OfprOper
tanks. but are extremely ''pretty'-l0ts OF
artificial rOckwOrk framing large mirror at the
back, which has a very natural effect so that
what the poor snakes lack in water they make
up for in lo0king-giass. l came on the follow
ing morning, armed with my ointment; but the
lady had betaken herself into a creyice of the
rocks, where one could scarcely catch sight of
her. There were ether phthOns in the cage
some of them nearly twenty feet long, some not
more than five or six; but though they projected
their heads and commenced to hiss they did not
attempt to attack; and the kecper-an intelli-
gent man, who spoke FreEch-said they would
not come at us If we did not touch them A
little one jumped harmlessly at my leg as 1
stepped over him. For three DAYS the pytho-
ness remained In her rocky retreat; but on the
fourth, caught sight of her at the very top of
the cage, and at once climbed up and brought
her down. The poor things mouth was in a
worse state than had anticipated She came
down quietly enough, and though nervous, was
not spteful. and allowed Inc to handle her.
Now, as ill-luck would have it. the regular
keeper was absent on this particular morning.
and his place was filed for the time by another
from some other part of the Gardens who spoke
nothing but Flemish. of which tongue aln as
profoundly ignorant as lie most certainly was
of the creatures under his temporary charge. l
went into the den with him, taking it for
granted. of course that he was accustomed to
snakes, and gave him the box Of ointment to
hold until was ready to use It, When had
brought the pythOness fairly down to the
floor, gripped her hard by the neck, which
had the efect-as / intended it to have.
and as it always has with snakes-of making
her open her mouth. | pressed her
head away from me at the same time, to
prevent her catching hold of any part of my
clothing, in her effort to bite. In her fright
and rage she drew her body up across my back,
and twisted her tail round and round my other
arm. All that l now required ofthe keeper was.
by teasing or pinching her here and there. or by
unwnding the tail when necessary to cause her
to Shift her coils constantly. and ID event her
resting long enough on one spot to apply undue
pressure. My face l could protect for myself
with the left hand. This, l concluded, he I'M
derstood, as matter of course. turned round
to make sign to him to be ready and give to
me the ointment, when judge of my dismay as
l caught sight of his stod face with sort of
dull impartial interest on it, looking at me
through the glass in front. and the door closed
on the outside! He had got frightened by the
noise OF the other pythons, and had quietly gone
out again.
was about to make an impatient gesture
when in that instant the serpent frightened on
me SO suddenly and violently that / momenta-
rlly lost consciousness. | then found myself
staggering about the den fighting for life. /
expected to feel my ribs give way every mo-
ment, yet my chief fear at the time was failing
through the glass. pushed the reptiles head
away from me with all my might. lest it should
cross my breast. and 1 can remember catching
sight OF myself, a mulberry-colOred figure in
the mirror. knew. too, that was trampling
about over the other pythons, who furious at
the disturbance. were now darting about the
den above and all around me in every directions;
and eXertcu every energy to keep my feet for |
had presence Ofmind enough left to know that if
went down it wOuldb be all over with me. The
heat was sitting. could bear It no longer: the
cage spun madly round and round before nv
eyes, and everything seemed to flame and roar
let 60 the head. The snake twisted sharply
back over my right shoulder close to my face,
but did not bite me. and slid off on the ground
l just recollect falling against the door with
Outstretched hands, but nothing more until
found myself sitting on the steps outside, cough
ing violently, while the phleginatc keeper was
putting hot key down my back. for some occult
reason brought up a little blood and drank
little brandy, after which 1 soon got better:
but was not well enough to walk home and
the bruise in my side did not fade for many a
day. | suppose the whole affair did not last
more IMAM q lew seconds, but found it quite
long enough. Fortunately the snake had only
small part OF her body across my left side and
back; had she encrcled me with whole coil l
should have been crushed like an eggshell.
Cur1Ously enough. my left arm was quite par
alyzed, and did not fully recover the use of it
for week. did not know it at the time. but
she must have pressed her tail under my armpt.
and SO compressed the nerves. The accident
was one Of the stupidest and most preventable
in the world, and was entirely owing to my
taking the wrong man into the cage to assist me-
may add that l went in some days later with
the proper keeper, and performed the opera
ration, not only without danger. but without
the least difficulty.
That serpents may be discriminatory affec-
tiOnate toward individuals beyond the mere in
stinctive absence of fear, everyone who has
kept them must know. To those who have not,
l should be happy to allow my own pets to
prove their case. Can snake have sufficient
Intelligence to be jealous? jealousy is perhaps
the nearest approach to rational attribute,
showing some mental process of logical infer
ence or deduction, which animals evnce 1
don't press the point. but merely give the fact
that Totsey, my boa, one of the gentlest and
best-tempered of snakes, who lives in cage in
perfect peace with two pythons. an anaconda,
rat-snake, wasp-snake and several others, will
invariably bite them. if l take them up when
she is on my shoulder.