Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-04-04
veNoMous REPTILES.

vENoMous REPTILES.
c.,.e,, Exn.r,m.nts sAswing How Thsy
Bring Down Their Prey.
DR.. Oswald, happening to be in Mat
amoras, Mex, when an amateur COL
lector was selling out choice collec-
ton of snakes, he bought cage con-
tanning a male and female OF these
speckied ophidians He first tried
them with mouse, but either through
fastidiousness or laziness they tarried
sotong that the mouse got away. Next
day he treated them to . nest with five
young spa-rows in it Three of these
died before their snakeships conde-
seconded to partake, while old spar
rows, rsts and cockroaoAes we're tried
with nc better success
One morning the gamins OF the
neighborhood caught an old black bird
and sold it to the experimental for
two pieces of stick candy, ane 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 bsrd set
tied down in a corner and the snakes
prepared for action. They lowered
.heir heads, and, without moving the
Eail-ends of their bodies, approached
the bird by a gradual extension
,of their coils, but the bird
was all susp;cio and recommended
his flutterins before their ost-like at
vance had brought them within range.
The snakes separated then; the female
rolled herself up in the iblackbird' s
corner and lher mate took post in the
center of Ssle cage, but after readIust-
ing their coils neither budged an inch;
they bided their time. Dashing his
head against the 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
water-pct- He hoped out with
drenche1 wings and devoted a few
seconds to the Encouragement of his
toilet unconscious or needless Of the
proximity of the female partner of the
hostile alliance. She watched all his
movements. and her tail 'quiyered in a
curious way when she saw him poke
d his head under the right wing, the one
turned toward her corner. sShe seemed
to knox that he would repeat the same
maneuver on the left-my side. He
did 50. and she had him directly.
Drawing herself up she poised her
neck like dart, brace6 herself and
let drive. A loud screech, few feath-
ers flying and a terrified bird darling
about like blind chicken-cause and
effect coincided with shot-like sudden
ness
Instead of following the bird the
snake returned to her favorite nook,
where she was soon otter joined by
her mate. The difficult part of the
Job was done. Three or four times
the bird managed TO take wing, stag.
gered around in circle once or twice
and then sat still. The chemicals be-
gan to operate. First its legs and
then lis wings commenced to tremb BILE:
trying to stand upright, it put its feet
farther and farther apart and finally
spread its wings, but 10 no purpose
A convulsive tremor seized it, and
with q gasp it fell over on its side. and
only st that moment did the snakes
glide slp to take possession of their
prey. The same experiment was tried
with d ground squirrel and two half
growE chickens. and always with an
analogous result. Ne animal likely
to offsr serious resistance was capt
ured eltright by the ,snakes. They
managed to fetch it a Site and let it
GO. relying on the virus to do the rest.
San Francisco Chronicle.