The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-06-15
B0LTING LIVE CHICKENS.

"ShOul0 you care TO see the SNAKES
fed?" aaid the proprietor Of a
museum to a reporter. He had III
his hand pasteboard box. In the
top were a number OF holes. and
thrc ugh these apertures the chirp-
ing of number of birds of some
| sort penetrated.
"WhRt do you feed them on ?"
"Chicks. Little fellows that l
send to che country for. Come up"
The museum man led the way to
the top floor and opened the door to
a large cage in one corner of which
six mammoth boa constructors lay.
They were wreathed together
in a mass-tOrpid, sluggish looking
reptiles. Their eyes were glazed and
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
"Ths snakes may pounce upon
them at once" said the museum
man, "but they are more likely to
take their time. Let as stand here
q moment and see what they do"
The chicks lowered together in a
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 suspectedsthe chickens were to
make supper for the boas.
"See these chickens?" said one;
"Hatched by steam, 1 guess"
Another expressed surpriae that the
snakes were trained to live with
chickens. A pretty young girl said
ST 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 position |
to watch the result. For half an
hour the museum man, the reporter |
and the pretty girl waited for sians
OF life from the scaly mass In the |
corner. The pretty girl shifted from |
one foot to the other, went to the |
window and locked out, and showed
evident signs Of WEAKNESS. But
she resumed her place after each |
excursion. In the meanwhile the
chicks had recovered somewhat |
from their surprise, and one, the
largest in the lot, finally ventured
toward the apparently inanimate |
reptiles.
There was the slightest possible |
tremor in the interwined mass, and |
the Yentursome chick rushed bur. |
riedly back to his com panions |
screaming with fright. The watch
ers observed closely and saw with |
satisfaction that the reptiles were
awake. The largest one lifted his
head, then lay it down and finally |
uncoiled himself, The process was
very slow, and was followed
by similar motions on the part
of the others. The chicks were by
this time chirping most pitifully
and making frantic efforts to es~
cape. The large snake darted forth
his fangs and laZily approached the
chickens. At first he cid not sp-
pear to notice them, but presently
his eyes became fixed upon their
corner. Slowly but surely he drew
near the poor little creatures, run.
ming his head along the ground,
first to the right aud then to the
lett. When his head wss within a
few feet Of them, the chicks made a
rush; but were their motions never
so rapid, they could not haye es.
capped the certain death in store for
them.
Raising himself suddenly, the
boa opened his mouth gave his
head shoot forward, and swal-
lowed the brave leader of the little !
band without percepGible effort. !
The remaining five rushed headlong
to the opposite end Of the cage, but
10 instant death. for with the rapid {
ty of so many streaks of lightning
the five remaining boaS each darted I
or his head, grabbed one chicken
anG swallowed it as daintily and as
EASILY as the large snake had done
The pretty girl who had hero
cally watched The whole proceed
ngs uttered terrified shrek and
'ushed from the room. The boas =
Iarted their heads from one side to $
he other, interlaced Themselves :
lowly and laboriously and were :
DON sleeping again on the little =
and of chicks which a monument G
efors had been chirping and chip 6
er. The proprietor said that the
irds had to be fed alive or the c
makes would net est them.-New {
yOrk NeW, ID