The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-05-21
Two Aspects OF the Snake idea.

In the Geological Gardens can now be
seen in all the velvety sheen of its first
splendor python that has just cast its
skin, and the great snake is n very
miracle Of reptilian loneliness. Not
even the birds of paradise can compare
with its puppies, blues and Colds, while
an infinite interest underlies those
iridescent charms, from the fact that
its coils, soft rs n butterhy's wing, and
shot with colors like n doves breast,
can crush the life out of q strong
man, can hold the tiger in its rage, and
slowly squeeze it into pulp. Watch
its breathing; it is as gentle as n child's.
And the beautiful lamia head rests like
n browning jewel upon the sofkly
heaving coils. Let danger threaten,
however, and lightning is hardly
quicker than the dart of those vengefnl
eonvolutiOns. The cleaning length
ruStlcs proudly into menace, and.
instead Of the voluptuous lazy thing of
n moment ago, the python, with all its
terrors complete, erects itself defiantly,
thrilling. so il seems, with eager pas
sion in every scale, and measuring in
the air with threatening head the circle
within which is death. Once let those
recurved fangs strike home, and, though
there Is no poison in them, al hope is
gone TO the victim. Coil after coil is
rapidly thrown around the struggling
object, and then with slow but relent-
less pressure life Is throttled out of
every limb. ..--..r
The python in the Geological Gardens,
however, though it may stand as the
modern reality Of the old-world fable OF
n gigantic snake that challenged the
strength Of gods to overcome it. pre-
sents 90 Us only one side of snake na-
ture- IL possesses a surprising beauty
and prodigouS strength; but il is not
venomous. Probably the more subtle
and fearful apprehensions of men orig
mated really from the smaller and dead
her kinds, and were thenAby supersti-
ton, poetry and herAldry extended 10
the larger. The little basilisk, crowned
king of the vipers; 1.-THE horned cerastes
dire" few inches in length; the tiny
aspie, fatal rs lightning and as swift;
and the tabled cockatrice, that n man
might hold on his hand, first made the
serPent-legend terrible; their venom
was afterward transferred. and not nm
naturally. TO the larger species Ii was
the small worms, that carried in their
minute fangs such rapid end ruthless
death, which first struck fear into the
minds of the ancients. and invested the
snake with the mysterious and horrid
attributes wheretO antiquity, from Chins
20 Egypt hastened to pay honor. Oh
the Venomous snakes the Geological
Gardens present many very fearsome
examples, and painful death. such as
science Ia rs yet POwerless 10 arrest,
Turks within half the cases in the RRp.
tle-hOuse. Eminent among the most
deadly Is the surucrIru of the Brazils.
Every one knows O. the fatal daboia %
India and the cobra-di-capello, the rat
tlesnake, the ophiophagus. and the
other more familiar reptiles with poison
fAngs. al Of which are 70 be seen In
Regents Park; but the stranger from
South America is their rival in the cer-
tainty and rapidity Of the death that II
inHicts IL and the python. therefore.
may take rank ~ the representatives Of
the two aspects OF the snake idea In
AatnKe. 90 ~ F~4