The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-10-03

mouse, but the elasticity of the SER
pent S head and neck was shown when
the mouse began to slip down its throat,
the operation being effected by with.
ing performance on the part of the
snake.
The king snake is given bed OF
stones and gravel in his cage. Dead
garter-snakes, mice and birds are put in
the cage for him. 1t is seldom neces-
sary to put live food in the snake cages
or tanks, except in the case of newly,
arrived rattlesnake or other venomous
serpent. Mr.. Thompson says it is diff
cult to train venomous snakes to eat in
captivity. He has one large diamond
rattlesnake which, he says, has eaten
nothing for seven months. 1t was very
fat when it stopped eating, and has lived
upon its own flesh. Its physical condi-
ton is not yet so much reduced as to
oblige Mr.. Thompson to resort to the
rather dangerous means OF forcing
chopped-up meat down the snakes throat
by blowing 'the food through a glass
tube.
Mr.. Thompson says that the large
rattlesnake referred to is about eighteen
years old, though it has only six rattles.
The number of rattles is not always an
indication of the age of the snake, be-
cause the rattleS are often lost by acct
dent or disease. There is three smaller
rattlesnakes, which have refused to eat
even live prey for some time past. There
is one rattlesnake in the collection which
feeds voluntarily. It's of the "banded'
variety. If dead animal is given him
he does not use his poisonous fangs, but
swallows the food Just as the king snake
and other serpents do. His method of
attacking live prey is somewhat different
from the water moccasin. He stabs it
with his poisonous fangs repeatedly,
letting 90 to await the effects. The
water moccasin seldom lets 90 after
making the first bite.
The copperhead's manner of striking
live prey is similar to that of the rattle
snake. The copperhead and rattlesnake
are said to be the only poisonous serpents
found in Pennsylvania. There is a small
variety of rattlesnake, about eighteen or
twenty inches long, represented in the
"Zoo," called the military" snake,
which feeds himself He and the cop
perheads get along nicely in the same
cage Mr.. Thompson thinks that all the
poisonous snakes might be put together
without danger to their lives, as he has
often seen them bite one another and
never new the bite to result fatally.
The description of the king snakes
manner of eating will answer for the
black snake and other harmless serpents
at the Zoo" In the cage of the black
snake is tree-branch to give it limited
facilities for indulging in its favorite
pastime of climbing, an exercise in
which it is an expert. All these harm
less makes are termed constructors, and
whenever necessary, coil around their
prey to crush it before swallowing,
The snake power of Kissing is exem.
plitied to remarkable degree in the
big, ugly, grayish pine snake of New
Jersey and elsewhere. This snake is
not poisonous, but it is said there are
many New Jersey husbandmen who
\ would pot-helieve the statement. Inside
I the lower Jaw is Aistle. forplftion,
which enables these snakes, after filling
their body with air, to make the
dreaded Kissing sound. There is pc
cular sensitiveness in the tails of many
snakes, and in no serpent at the Zoo
is this more readily seen than in the pine
snake. When its tail is touched it will
glide away as fast as it can, but when
it is leased by touching some other part
of its body, it will give vent to its mad.
ness by Kissing Mr. Thompson says
that even rattlesnakes can be routed if q
person only has chance to toy with
their tails.
Mr.. Thompson explains how he takes
venomous liquid from the mouths of rat.
) tlesnakes. He has collected q consider
} able quantity of the venom for DR.. S
: Weir Mitchell, who, it is SAID, has beer
} engaged for some time in the work o.
ascertaining the component parts of the
poison. Mr.. Thompson used lassC
formed of long stick,to which leather
strip is fastened so as to form loop a
one end. A person holding the Longer
end and pulling the strap tightens the
loop about the neck of the snake, anC
| then Mr.. Thompson, by Selling the necl
of the serpent with the right hand
forces its mouth open. With a plat
: held in his left hand he collects tn
+ venom as the fangs of the snake ar
vainly operating on the chinaware o
5 glass. A large diamond rattlesnak
will deposit teaspoonful of the poison
5 which is of green yellow color, ant
= looks something like melted butter
5 After the poison has been in bottle TO
. some time it changes into small yellow
g crystals. philadelphia Ledger.
+. The laziness and impudence of tn
= waiter of an Austin restaurant surpas
q belief Colonel Percy Yerger had OF