Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-06-09
BOLTING LIVE CHICKENS.


said the proprietor of a museum to reporter.
He had in his hand pasteboard box. In
the top were number of holes, and through
these apertures the chirping of number of
birds of some sort penetrated.
"What do you feed them on?'
'sChicks. Little fellows that | send to the
country for Como up"
The museum man led the way to the top
floor aud opened the door to a large cage in
one corner of which six mammoth boa con-
strictors lay. They were wreathed together
in mass-torpid, sluggish looking reptiles.
Their eyes were glazed aud dull The top
of the paper box was lifted off and six little
chicks were dumped out. They were about
three weeks old and very plump and downy,
with the least bit of a feather peeping out
from each wing.
'"The snakes may pounce upon them at
once" said the museum man, "but they are
more likely to take their time. Let US
stand here a momentan see what they do"
The chicks lowered together in corner
and chirped uneasily. They appeared to
feel their danger, and to wish they were
anywhere else. A number of people came
up, but no one suspected that the chickens
were to make a supper for the boas.
"See these chickens ?" said one "hatched
by steam, guess" Another expressed sur
prise that tho snakes Wero trained TO live
with chickens. a pretty young girl said :
Il wonder if the snakes won't eat them ?"
She was the only one who suspected that
the chicks and the boas were not happy
family, and she took up a position to watch
the result. For half an hour the museum
man, the reporter and the pretty girl waited
for signs of life from the scaly mass in the
corner. The pretty girl shifted from one
foot to the other, went to the window and
looked out, and showed evident signs of
weariness But she resumed her place after
each excursion. In the meanwhile the
chicks had recovered somewhat from their
surprise, and one tho largest in the lot,
finally ventured toward the apparently in
animate reptiles.
There was the slightest possible tremor
in the intertwined mass, and the ventur-
some chick rushed hurriedly back to his
companions, screaming with fright. The
isfaction that the reptiles were awake. The
largest one lifted his head, then laid it down
and finally uncoiled himself. The process
was very slow, and was followed by SINH
lar motions on the part Of the others. The
CHICKS "GIG ny Uino SliA PihE iAooe
pitifully and making frantic efforts to es-
cape The large snake dartcd forth his fangs and
laZily approached the chickens At first he did
not appear to notice them but presently his eyes
became fixed upon their corner. Slowly but sure
ly he drew near the poor little creatures running
his head along the ground, first to the right and
then to the left. When his head was within
few feet of thcm the chicks made rush. but
wcrc their motions never so rapid, they could not
have escaped the certain death in store for them.
Raising himself suddenly, the hoa opened his
mouth gave his head a shoot forward and swal-
lowed the brave leader Of the little band without
Il pcrceptihlc effort. The remaining five rushed
headlon2 to the opposite end of the cage, but TO
instant death for with the rapidity of so many
strcaks Of lightning the five remaining boas each
dartcd for his head, grabbed Que chicken and
swallowed it rs daintly and easily as the large
snake had done. The pretty girl who had hero
ically watched tho whole proceedings uttcreda ter
rifcd shrek and rushed from the room. The
boas darted their heads from side to the other
intcrlaced themselves slowly and laboriously and
were soon sleeping again on the little band of
chicks which Il moment before had been chlrpnG
and clipper. The proprietor said that the birds
had to be fed alive or the snakes would not eat
thcm.-- Ncm York NcTs.