Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-24


,-,n az the mithsOnian-Fic- +
-ror.f u winch the People Have Long .
49, F.rsb-The Curious Contents of
r-r..-storv Of the Reptile Depart
ueut. Etc
Washington star
rr. -.--. If a huge glyptodon guards
.r.-rtralee To little crossed sLa il.' va
Is ar OF the smithsonian build
- reporter. having passed the
--.-.- -r safety and descended the
rsr .a the dark .auyunths OF the
s--- ---rrrlleT over the remains OF a /
-5-.r .ftsrstur. and, after cropping lot
--rs zinc through q passage III "hlch
-r-l-a z--.rrI various uEcahL- remnants
NJ crrar.. found the laboratory Vi me
-ar9rtu.rl of reptiles. ms was a
g timber Vt horrors SURPRISING Tue VIII
- t-r.fa- af the victim OF dellrlum
-..-r'- .rf exceeding the most eNtraYa-
-- ina NATIVE flights Of the snake
vrHar. Stuffed serpents, horned .
f s-..ras and frighttul Saurlan mon I
M. -uurouOunceable names filled /
.--r-- Ill -le space in the apartment. /
T lives were crowded with jars IN /
--5.s other sinuOus and ugly creatures /
--.-- rr1-. .--ed in alcohol. The surround I
vr. Ike those Of the wizards den in T.
4 spectacular play, but, instead Of meet |
a. the wizard. the reporter was greeted Z
.-=s-9rt.- ~ Mr. L. :. Rheem, acting in
Charge VI the reptile department, a young
-artramau who disclaims any occult
1arar. Some Of the snake stories that
-- printed are ridiculous to one who
knows anything about snakes said Mr..
g.eem. iu reply TO the reporters state
rraut that he had braved his way 10 this
horrible place to learn something about
snakes. There is probably no subJecton
which writers delight % dwell more than
That OF snakes, and the remarkable tales
that emau3te from these writers are
enough Oh make each particular hair
stand on eud.' and are for the most part
believed lu hy the general public
CURIOUS CREATURES N THE LABORA-
TORY.
FIr. Eleam here invited the reporter to
r--..er the collection in the laboratory,
EN-. s- be passed from shelf 10 shelf,
r..uteG .-t with much pride the rare
..fmer- From one jar he took the head
- Iar-. rIttlesna6e, pointed out the 10
cation b. tle poison sac, and showed how
H. #u-, lJed back against the roof Of
ta.mou-- 90 De sprung out when the
snake --rre6 at an object. ON another
-HTf yer. The coral snakes. sleek and
--arTar Features, which infest some
r4H-- u. -.e southern states. one Of the
---r---a t Tie Smithsonian was bitten by
making drawing Of il. The snake,
which was Ia q glass jar, struck the
artists laud as he was adjusting the COW
.r.f r..ar. By the prompt application
~ artii.ras his life was saved, although
ra-rter.d greatly. Every year now at
the season when the bite was gwen, the
rrf wound testers and gives the artist con-
siderable trouble. In another jar was
a class snake. reptile with very smooth
10 re saF ha r~Tsn
snake. 90 remarked Mr.. Rheem, 'sthat If you
Strike one Il sharp blow it will break into
ufaee- ike class. have had them here,
and nave battered them with all my
ui-lr. but never knew one to 20 to
uiaees. a horned SNAKE Of larsC III
rauSf1us was cUlleu III q great jar AHt9
snake formerly lived with other snakes IN
a case iu the museum. one ga! IL NSts
swallowed completely by king snake
arIvs little longer than itself. The KING
snake began at the tail Of the horned
snake and finally gulpedlt all down. Inc
Eirr snake did this, IT Is supposed as
5gE6 uuru the horned snake, but II was
en- ilEe. for when the king snake threw
b. ms again. the horned snake was dead
A thunder worm from Florida, snaky
I9oEiny worm that comes out Of the
Ground when il thunders, occupied a
small bottle or jar. COpperheads, cOlu-
5srs. and hundreds of other snakes were
cooled Ina other Jars. One section was
Given uu -9 reptiles from foreign lands.
There was an Egyptian asp, OF the same
-recips rs that which stung Cleopatra, q
Eright-hued poisonous sea serpent, ana
many other rare treasures. IN corner
OF the rCum in box, were TWO large ana
sturdy lizards from Arizona, OF the
zr..f5s SHOWN as the ella monster. These
qra vicious and poisonous. 1t was by one
III these creatures that DR.. Shuieldt was
hfftan some time ago. His arm sWelleC
very rapialv. but the progress or the POI
SON was checked before il resulted serI
rusIv. Mr. Rheem handled these crea
lures with a pair Of tOngs. Ihey uarteC
their slender tongues out furIOusiy, an
one of them grasped the tOnSs IN M
mouth. Grating his teeth against III
metal In bis rage.
AMUCH ABUSED REPTILE.
s.Tbe poor snake is a much abused rep
tTa1 continued Mr.. Rheem, when he hat
made the circuit of the room and re
sumed his seat, ''tOr Of all the Store
written OF him very few are, sclcntiHcal
Tv- correct. and. as a consequence, he Ia
been declared the enemy Of mankind, ant
has been hunted to death, from place I
Mace. until he has no place TO rest hl
head The study of herpetology, or tn
science Of reptiia, Is one OF the most II
teresting branches of sclentlnc researci
and if III was more generally studied b
tts naonJa. in a short time the snak
vr1uid be one Of mans best friends, an
every home would have its pet snake. In
iuuocu0us snakes comprise all the con
mon harmless species of the grOunC
fresh water or tree. Being not at a
harmful. and feeding on mice, mOles, II
saets. etc.. many of them render lmpol
taut service in restraining the increase
the most destructive enemies OF man."
FIcuONs ABOUT SNAKES.
..Tbe vulgar fear Of these animals,
continued Mr.. Rheem. as he lighted
cigarette. is mainly the result OF prell
dice. which lacks foundation IN iacts- ]
reality. some of the most dreaded have 1
existence. The Ring or Hoop snake
which is said to take me eL
If its tail in its mouth an
ron over and over like a hoop, XII
ing everything it touches with its venoI
auS horn 1t the end of its tail, ana q
BLOW snake the breath Of which Is dea
Iv. are mere tictiOns. All species
snakes are carnivOrOus. Some crush the
prey In the folds of the body, others h
The creatures on which they feed by ven
nous secretiOns. but the greater numb
swallow living food. During the opeI
ton 0f swallowing, small pores along q
laws give out a saliva which renders q
act more easy. aud are thus able to sw;
low animals considerably larger tn;
would otherwise be possible. Frequent
the snake disgOrges a partly swallow
meal To- change its position IN the mou'
OF 20 take breath; the Shiny appearance
sucu m0rsels has given rise to the error
Gus idea that they have been deliberate
covered with slime before the attempt
eat. Movable eyelids do not exist IN
snake. The epiderm is continuous ON
body and head, and forms transpare
cover for tie eyebau. With the sheddi
ol the skin, which happens at least on
in "a season. the outer envelope OF the G
is carried away. Near the time Of sh'
din- the skin. the dermal covering OF
eye is lQeseued, more apaque. and int
teres, To some extent. with the sight;
such times snakes are said TO be blind
DEAF AS An ADDER.
The hearing Of a snake is dull"
sumed Mr.. kheem, after a short pause
drive away a predatory cat, "and il
probably BY the jar, or the sense Of SIN,
which is very acute, that it is aware
the approach Of anything. The sense
taste is also probably lacking. As S
penis move about they are cOnstan
feeling ahead Of them with the tong
and the forward thrust and pecul
t0rked appearance Of this organ has civ
rise TO the false idea that with il
singing is done. Certain authOrit
have adOpted the idea that some sna