Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-07-31
OUT OF THE SNAKE DEN.
Fact and Fiction from the Reptile Room
OF the Smithsonian.

OUT OF THE SNAKE DEN.
Fact and FIction from the Reptile Reen,
Of the Smithsonian.
A STAR reporter searching for authentic in
formati Concerning the sea serpent which is
eral seaside resorts already this summer ira
| versed the gloomy passage underneath the
Smithsonian building leading TO the snake
room. Within the room sat . distinguished
scientist. 1t was evidently . moment of leisure
with him, and The STAR reporter took ad-
vantage OF 1t to bfoach the subject OF sea SER
penis.
"see serpents" remarked the scientist; "why
yes there are o great many Of them If you can
the room towards the myriad jars In which
serpents were coiled and the dried and stuffed
REPTILES banging on pegs and other
hour. of reiasation: 1--WE e have reoeiv esr. a
observing that the reporter took in the full
meaning OF his pun on sea serpents Never
heard OF bowling CONSTRUCTOR Why, that's
the snake that surrounds an army Of other
snakes, gets around them, puts his tail in his
mouth. swallows his tail and keeps on swallow
snakes, you see. until he cuts them In two.' '1'
"aavs You had any official Information on
the subject" inquired The STAR reporter;
learned gentleman: .This hoop snake, Or
hSfnsd snake came with ass tail in It's mouth
on the end of its tail telling us about it. The
dispatch was put on the end of the tail. and
safe. DR.. Yarrow, you see, offered 500 to any
body who would bring him live hoop snake
with its tail in its mouth. Did he have to pay
the people brought the snake, aud they. could
not wait for him. VIII he have to pay it. No, the
trouble Is, you see. that this was jOinted
snake, and when went to touch It 1t fell all TO
pieces. It is true person who could blow on
1t the right way might have brought the pieces
lungs like bellows. We have TO keep track OF OF
these matters, you see, for every little while
Congress gets up snake investigation and ex-
"There was copperhead and blowing viper
In a box here, the other day" said the scientist
a, and the tn, viper think was pretty we'll fright
moccasin in the box, too, but be hunted for a
hole and got out Of the way. The viper then
bic blew himself up.his hinder part-and flattened
big paper cutter with o snakes head on the
end, q Hat blade and big round handle. Then
load of sand and paraded around in that way.
The copperhead actually turned pale with
fright. The viper went about In that way tor
head. If the copperhead had bitten him he
would have let the wind out Of him, just like
biting hole In toy bellows: l am satisfied
the viper. Sometimes fright will lead one to
buster around"
III the DIG Oh q POISONOUS snake XIII an
other shaker" asked the reporter.
"Oh, yes, very quickly" said the naturalist.
Snakes that eat poisonous snakes by choice
open their mouths Then they swallow them,
nose and head first, and the reptile never has
chance to bite. King snakes, the black snakes
another snake, of u dull lead color, in the West
Indies, that does the same way. Hound one Of
them once which had swallowed all Il could Of
snake much longer than ITSELF 1t made
strange sight-looked like snake with two
tails. 1t had to 60 around this way until a part
would take in a little more Of it, and SO on,
until the whole snake had disappeared l am
told that out in Kansas there are snakes that
tles,' as they call them here. A snake will
swallow the hind leg OF the 'tortle,' and, of
course, cannot swallow any more Then the
roughly. The snake cannot let 90, tor its teeth,
which are turned back or inward, are locked
fast. 1t keeps its hold until the leg becomes
SO decomposed that 1t drops off, That fact
counts for the great number OF lame 'tortles'
tors are made down in North Carolina, be-
lieve. They are made out OF moonshine. l re-
member man met down In that state, coun-
tryman. I asked him II they had any snakes
around that country. Yes, he said boa con-
strictors and anacondas.' What asked, you
no., 'I he answered they come n here with the
shows Some people see good many snakes
continued the scientific gentleman. "Do you
car who had a box with holes in the cover. A
nervous old gentleman who sat near him
thought he had something alive In the box and
felt u little alarmed. Finally. he poked the boy
with his umbrella. and satd sonny, what have
you in that boX?' The boy said, It's mon
goose, animal that kills snakes Soon the
Old gentleman prOdded him again with the
umbrella and said, You don't have SO many
snakes up your way that you have to keep an
animal to kill them, do you? we don't have
any, said the boy, at least, l never saw one,
and no one else ever saw one, except my brother,
who drinks very hard, he sees good many at
times"
"Oh, but those are imaginary snakes" said
the old gentleman.
And this Is an imaginary mOngoose, said
the small boy. The old gentleman then viewed
the scenery from the window and did not bother
the boy again.
"Have any of our snakes escaped lately?" said
the scientist. repeating question of the
reporter. Now we never really had more than
half dozen copperheads and two or three rattle
snakes get away, and that number amounts to
little when scattered over big city like Wash
ingtOn. never saw one of them after they LETT
here. They know me and suppose get out OF
the way when they see ME coming But there
are very few of them"
Might they not propagate and multiply"
inquired the reporter.
"If they found gate," said the scientist
"they might prop 1t, but never saw one in that
attitude" and then the scientific gentleman
having used up his leisure time, resumed his
study.