The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-11
A SNAKES REPAST.
John Doris's Boa onstrictor Takes His BIZ
Monthly Meal-Faets About Snakes.
.Did Won ever see a snake eatl'

circus and menaoerie are here for the winter,
and was answered in the negative.
Then come with me, and I'll show you some
thing that will interest you. We were just going
to feed the boa-constrictor. Andy, bring those
chicken over here" The last remark was ad-
dressed to one of the attendants in care of the
animals, and was promptly obeyed. Andy ad-
vanced with three full grown hens in either
hand, their legs tied together, and all
cackling loudly. His nibs is in this
box" said Doris, indicating with his cane. 'An-
dy, take that lid of" The box containing his
snakeship vas oe heavy wood, the top covering
of which was Slated, and under which was a
glass lid. In each of these coverings was adoor,
probably eighteen inches wide, extending clear
across the box. The Stats were no obstruction
to the sight, and the snake could easily be seen
within. 1t was a monstrous reptile of the boa
constructor variety, and of enormous size. Its
length was probably twelve feet, and it's body at
the middle as large as that of a setter dog. 1t
was coiled at the end of the box furthest from
the aperture referred to, apparently dormant.
Andy carefully opened the door, and first libe-
rating the chickens by cutting the cords
binding their legs, dropped them into
the box. Whether from satisfaction at
being released from Andy's clutches or from
failure to relish their new surroundings-heaven
only knows the thought possessing the brain Of a
hen--they manifested their appreciation of the
one or disgust at the other by setting up a cack-
ling that would have been justified only by the
laying of a whole crate of eggs. They hoped
about from one end of the box to another. ap-
parently regardless Of the presence of the mon
ster for whose delectation they were destined,
and not hesitating to perch upon his uninviting-
looking coils. The snake at first paid as little
attention to their presence as they apparently
bestowed upon him, but after a few moments,
when the clatter had in a measure
subsidized, he began to manifest
some interest in the proceedings. His little
bead-like eyes sparkled like rubies, and his
forked tongue shot from his mouth at rapidly
folding his coils and preparing himself for bust
ness; but he acted with all the elaboration and
dignity of a snake of his Importance and posi-
ton in society. He was evidently not unduly
hungry, although he had eaten nothing for over
a month, and took his own time to his prepara-
TONS Writing his ponderous head across the
floor and without Strengthening out the anterior
coils, he selected the object for his first attack.
and, raising his head with lightning-like
rapidity, he struck. He caught the
to secure a firm hold, and with
a frantic squawk that frightened it's com
panions into another outburst, the terrified hen
jumped against the lid and thumped against the
sides of the box in her effort to escape. At
length she settled in another corner. and the
snake resumed operations on the same general
plan. Again he was unsuccessful, and the same
scene OF confusion among the birds was again
enacted. A third time the reptile struck, and
this time was more successful, securing a firm
hold and crushing the life out of his victim. The
next move on the part of the snake was to pre-
pare his meal, and for ten or fifteen minutes he
devoted his attention to running his tongue over
her body, moistening the feathers with a Shiny
looking saliva. AT tho end of that
time he seemed satisfied with the
condition of the chicken, and settled
down for the grand finale. He thrust his lower
jaw forward, apparently disconnecting it at the
joint, and taking firm hold of the head, he began
drawing the body in. The work was done with
the lower jaw, which would be to all appearances
disjointed on taking hold and gradually returned
to its proper position, each repetition of the mo-
lions drawing the body of the hen further into
his capacious gullet, until, at the end of twenty
minutes more, it had entirely disappeared. The
whole operation. from the time the chickens
were put into the cage. until the first hen was
lost to sight, occupied about one hour and a half.
Hell finish every one of those chickens be-
fore morning" said Doris. "If you want to re-
main and see him tackle another one, we'll stay
But at the expiration of another quarter-hour,
the reptile having made no sign Of resuming, the
reporter left.
with the reporter, 81 had that snake for sixteen
months before he ever ate a mouthful. / bought
him of a dealer in Hamburg, Germany, and
paid $500 for him in the spring: I exhibited him
with my show ali that season, kept him all the
next winter, and it was we'll into the next summer
before he touched a moutlful. / used to put
pigeons, rats and birds into the cage every few
days, buu no would not pay the least attention
to them. However, l obeyed the instructions
of the man from whom l bought him, and &C.
casionally put a large tub of warm milk and
water into the box with him. He
would crawl into the tub and drink
several gallons of the stuff during the night.
Among the people with the show was a Circas-
sian girl, a side-show attraction, who had for a
pet a Mexican dog, a nastylooking, hairless
thing. In moving, she frequently put this dog
into the box with the snake, and, one night after
showing in a town in Nebraska. we started for
the next stand; the dog was in the box with the
snake. The night was very dark, and the
driver of the wagon carrying the snakes box
drove off the side of the road down an embark
ment, overturning the wagon and smashing the
glass in the snakes cage to smithereens. The
other lid kept either of the occupants of the box
from geCJlnS OUT, IHOugu, ana IL was put on
another wagon and the journey continued.
In the evening, when we got to Atchison, the
Circassian girl went to the box to get her dog,
but failed to find him. He could not possibly
have got out, and there was but one ~explana-
ton for his disappearance-the snake had eaten
him. The girl was mad as blazes, but her anger
availed nothing; the dog had gone to the mystic
rious bourne from which no dog returns. A day
or two later my brother, Phil. Doris, had half a
dozen ducks put into the box, and his hiehness
ate every one of them. Since that time he has
eaten at regular intervals of about two months,
generally about half a dozen ducks or chickens
constituting a meal.
where do showmen get their snakes?" asked
the reporter.
There are regular dealers in snakes in New
York. Hamburg and two or three other places,
and we buy from them. They range in price
from $40 to $500, but a fair average price for
ns--- 1.LAl = d MI -