The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-04-26
vENOMOUS REPTILES.
Careful Experiments Showing How The,
Bring Down Their Prey.

Careful Experiments Showing How They
Bring Down Their Prey.
DR. Oswald, happening to be in Mat
amoras, Mex, when an amateur col
lector was selling out a choice collec-
tlon of snakes, he bought cage con-
tanning a male and female OF these
speckled ophidians. He first tried
them with a mouse, but either through
fastidiousness or laziness they tarrIed
solong that the mouse got away. Next
day he treated them to a nest with five
young sparrows in It. Three Of these
died before their snakeships conde-
scended 20 partake, while old spar
rows, rats and cockroaches were tried
with no better success. t - ..
One morning the gamins of the
ne1ghborhood caught an old black bird
and sold II TO the eXperimenter for
two pieces of stick candy, and the
snakes, who had tasted for twenty
four hours rather than eat cock
reaches, got q chance for q square
meal After futtering around in an
excited way for awhile the bird set
tied down in a corner and the snakes
prepared for action. They lowered
their heads, and. without moving the
tail-ends of their bodies. approached
the bird by a gradual extension
of their coils, but the bird
was all suspicion and recommended
his huttering before their cat-like ad-
vance had brought them within range.
The snakes separated then; the female
rolled herself up in the black bird :
corner and her mate took post in the
center OF the cage, but after readjust-
ing their coils neither budged IN inch;
they bided their time Dashing his
head against tho cage seemed to tire
the bird after awhile Presently he
alighted in a rather inaccessible place,
took wing again, and alighting in his
old corner, finally blundered into the
waterproof He hoped out with
dronched wings and devoted q few
seconds 70 tho rearrangement Of his
toilet unconscious or heedless OF the
proximity of the female partner of the
hostile alliance. She watched all his
movements, and her tail quivered in
curious way when she saw him poke
his head under the right wing, the one
turned toward her corner. She seemed
10 know that he would repeat the same
manSuYer on the left-my side. He
did SO, and she had him directly.
Drawing herself up sho poised her
neck like dart braced herself and
let drive A loud screech, a few feath-
ers flying and terrified bird darting
about like blind chicken-cause and
effect conceded with shot-like sudden
ness .-.----.
Instead of following The bird the
snake returned TO her favorite nook,
whero she was soon after Joined by
her mhto- The difficult part OF the
job was done. Threa or four times
the bird managed 10 take wing. stag
gered around in e circle once or twice
and then sat still. The chemicals be-
gan TO operate First its legs and
then its wings commenced to tremble;
trying TO stand upright, it put its feet
farther and farther apart and finally
spread its wings. but to no purpose.
A convulsiye tremor seized 1t, and
with a gasp it fell over on its side, and
glide up 10 take possession Of their
prey. The same experiment was tried
with ground squirrel and two half
grown chickens. and always with an
analogous result No animal likely
to offer serious resistance was capt
ured outright by the snakes. They
managed to fetch it bite and let 1t
go, relying on the vfrus to do the rest
San Francisco Chronicle.