Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-16
TRUTH ABOUT SNAKES.
Some of the Popular Errors Concern.
ing Reptiles Corrected.

|
ing Reptiles Corrected.
| A TALK WITH THE SNAKE NAN AT THE SMITH
! sONIAN-PICTIONs IN WHICH THE PEOPLE HAVE
LONG HAD FAITH-ONLY THREE SPECIES OF
| POISONOUS sERPENTs IN NORTH AMERICA-THE
CURIOUS CONTENTS OF THE LABORATORY OF
THE REPTILE DEPARTMENT, ETC.
| The figure Of a huge glyptodon guards the
entrance to a little crooked stairway in one cor
ner of the Smithsonian building. STAR re-
porter. having passed the glyptodon in safety
and descended the stairway to the dark laby-
rinths of the basement. stumbled over the re-
mains OF deceased alligator. and, after cropping
for some time through passage in which were
strewn various uncanny remnants of creation,
found the laboratory of the department of rep
tiles. This was chamber of horrors SURPRISING
the widest fancies of the victim of delirium
tfemens. and exceeding the most extrayagant
| imaginative flights Of the snake-story writer.
| Stuffed serpentS, horned tOads, iguanaS and
frightfu sauran monsters with unpronounce-
able names filled nearly all the space in the
| apartment The shelves were crowded with
jars in which other sinuOus and ugly creatures
were immersed in alcohol. The surroundings
were like those Of the wizards den in a spec
tacular play, but, instead Of meeting the wizard,
the reporter was greeted pleasantly by Mr.. E.
S. Rheem, acting in charge of the reptile de-
partment young gentleman who dsclams any
occult power. "SOme of the snake stories that
are printed are ridiculous to one who knows
anything about snakes" said Mr.. Rheem in
| reply to the reporters statement that he had
braved his way to this horrible place to learn
something about snakes There Is probably
no subject on which writer's delight to dwell
more than that of snakes. and the remarkable
| tales that emanate from these writer's are enough
! to make each particular hair stand on end.
and are for the most part believed in by the
| general public"
CURIOUS CREATURES IN THE LABORATORY.
Mr.. Rheem here invited the reporter to In
spect the collection in the laboratory. and, as he
passed from shelf to shelf, pointed out with
much pride the rare specimens. From one jar
| he took the head of a large rattlesnake pointed
out the location of the poison sac. and showed
how the fangs folded back against the roof of
the mouth to he sprung out when the snake
| struck AT an object. On another shelf were the
coral snakes, sleek and slender creatures which
| infest some parts of the southern states. One
of the artists at the Smithsonian Was bitten bv
one of these snakes some years ago while max
| ing drawing of 1t. The snake, which was in a
glass jar. struck the artists hand as he was adj
| justing the cover of the jar BY the prompt ap-
| plicatOn of antidOtes his life was saved
| although he suffered greatly. Every year now
| at the season when the bite was given, the old
wound testers and gives the artist considerable
trouble. In another jar was a glass snake, a
reptile with very smooth and hard body. at
is said OF the glass snake, remarked Mr.. Rheem,
THAT if you strike one sharp blow it will break
into pieces like glass. l have had them here
and have battered them with all my might. but
never knew one to go to pieces" A horned
snake Of large dimensions was cOiled in great
jar. This snake formerly lived with other snakes
In case IN the museum. One day it was swa-
| lowed completely by king snake only little
longer than itself. The king snake began at
the tail of the horned snake and finally gulped
it ali down. The king snake did this, it is sup
posed. as joke upon the horned snake, but it
was sad joke, for when the king snake threw
1t up again, the horned snake was dead. A
| thunder worm from Florida. a snaky looking
worm that comes out OF the ground when it
thunders, occupied small bottle or jar Cop
perheads. colubers, and hundred of other
snakes were coed in other jars. One section
was given up to reptiles from foreign lands
There was an Egyptian asp, Ofthe same species
as that which stung Cleopatra, a bright hued
poisonous sea serpent, and many other rare
treasures. In corner OF the room, in box,
were two large and sturdy lizards from Arizona,
| OF the species known as the ella monster. These
are vicious and poisonous. 1t was by one ofthese
creatures that ID. Shuieldt was bitten some time
ago. His arm swelled very rapidly. but the
progress of the poison was checked before it
resulted seriously. Mr.. Rhep.n handled these
creatures with q pair OF tongs. They darted
| their slender tongues ont furously, and one of
them grasped the tongs in his mouth. grating his
teeth against the metal in his rage.
MUCH ABUSED REPTILE.
''The poor snake Is much abused reptile, y
continued Mr.. Rheem, when he had made the
circuit of the room and resumed his seat, :.for
of all the stories written of him very few are,
scientifically. correct. and, as consequence, he
has been declared the enemy Of mankind and
has been hunted to death. from place to place.
until he has no place to rest his head The
10 of
is one of the most interesting branches of scien-
tiic research, and if it was more generally
studied by the people, in short time the snake
would be one of mans best friends, and every
home would have its pet snake. The innocu-
Gus snakes comprise all the common, harmless
species OF the ground. fresh water or tree
Being not at all harmful, and feeding on mice
moles, insects. &c. many Of them render i'm
pOrtant service inrestraining the increase of the
most destructive enemies of man."
FICTIoNs ABOUT SNAKES
''The vulgar fear of these animals" continued
Mr.. Rheem, as he lighted a cigarette sis mainly
the result OF prejudice, which lacks foundation
in facts. In reality. some of the most dreaded
have no existence. The Ring or Hoop Snake
which is said to take the end OF it's tail in Its
mouth and roll over and over like hoop. kill
ing everything it touches with its venomOus
horn at end of its tail, and the Blow Snake
the breath OF which is deadly, are mere tictiOns
All species Oh snakes are CdrnlVOrOuS. Some
crush their prey in the folds of the body, others
Kill the creatures on which they feed by veno-
nous secretions, but the greater number swal-
low living food. During the operation of swal-
lowing. small pores along the jaws give out a
saliva which renders the act more easy and are
thus able to swallow animals considerably larger
than would otherwise be possible. Frequently
| the snake disgorges partly swallowed meal to
change its position in the mouth or to take
breath; the Shiny appearance of such mOrseis
has given rise to the erroneous idea that they
have been deliberately covered with slime be-
fore the attempt to eat Movable eyeds do not
exist in the snake. The epiderm is continuous
over body and head. and forms a TRANSPARENT
cover for the eyeball. With the shedding of the
skin. which happens at least once in a season.
the outer envelope of the eye Is carried away
Near the time of shedding the skin, the dermal
covering of the eye is loOsened more opaoue
| and interferes, to some extent, with the sight:
at such times snakes are said to be blind
DEAF AS AN ADDER.
''The hearing OF snake is dull" resumed Mr..
Rhecm, after short pause to drive away pre-
datory cat, land it is probably by the jar. or the
sense of smell. which is very acute, that it is
aware of the approach Of anything. The sense
of taste is also probably lacking AS serpents
move about they are constantly feeling ahead
| of them with the tongue, and the forward
thrust and peculiar forked appearance of this
| organ has given rise to the false idea that with
| it the 'stnging' is DONE Certain authorities
! have adopted the idea that some snakes swal-
| low their young for protection in times of dam