New-York tribune., 1890-06-30
WAS THEPYTHON HYPNOTIZED
THE RABBIT DAVID AND THE SERPENT
GOLIATH.
END OF A MANCHESTER IN THE JARDIN DEs-
PLANTEs IN PARIS.

FLAMES IN Thnio'
One day while the writer was watching the disgust
ing though fascinating operation OF feeding large
cobra in the Geological Gardens at Calcutta the master
of an East lndianman told him remarkable STORY
of a python In the old Jardin des Plantes IN Pagls
The serpent was of the largest specimens OF It's
species captured and was valued at over 3ooo'
francs so muscular it, so fierce ana RAPID Ill it>
deadly cong that it required six men to loid H. even
the head had been properly secured on the Ie"
occasions when ii necessary TO change us
ouartefs The oldest animal trainers and at
tendants had wholesome dread Of the hdeous
python. None OF them had forgotten the rlsh,
fully rapid death Of rash circus snaRccharnier
who, several years before, when the py'hoh was
younger and considerably smaller, had poaseu
,b., 'he cor,d subduc IT, The lid of the box in
which IL was then kept, belng opened fisoioseo
the sluggish reptile closely coiled in a corner INC
man was by no means inexperienced and lie rcacieu
down with the intention OF giasPmS 'ho ~ :" "
securely around the neck just back OF mo "o""'
But he could not have known, or knowing hau ioi-
gotten the lightning like speed Win "hic" ''N.
serpents can move when they so desire IL sech''o
% ,,osa vbo looked on that the had scarcely
touched the cool scales before the snake had coed iSe
about his arm, and a second later the man was III
his death struggles Every RIB ana nearly every
bone in his body crushed. HIS death must hd|c
been painless II will seem strange that the pNlhoh
was not killed then and there. But il rerc"tei to
IT'S cage the lid OF which at cree closed ana no
one having the tcmerity to ate npt to XII IL a' 'he
moment it lived for many years. and became one OF
the greatest attractions of the Jardn dos Pantes.
But Il the py.hon's hfc spared on this occa
sion, it only that 1t .rght die inc
s.iu more ignominious death Fate had IN
store for it, Live rabbits the favorlte food oi
the python These were fattencd especially for its
table and only the largest and most tempting were sc
lected for its weekly meal II appears that 'hcre Is
not only danger of overlooking snakes. but, in the
case of this particular family great care must be taken
in the selection of their food as they are extremely
susceptible 10 certain diseases. The python had no"
attained length Of nearly twenty three feet and year
bv year il had become more powerful and vlndictlNe
Thirty thousand francs had been offered for TINS
snake and il valued al much more than TINS sum.
Many thousand people had visited the dreaded "pea9'
Of the field interesting treatises had been pub
lishcd about it. and the utmost care was taNeh III
housing it and providing for It's comfort "A httic
house. in which the natural environments OF itS
habitat were reproduced nearly as might be- Ead
been constructed for its use. The python. 1t might
be said, was now in the hcyday OF its fame.
THE RABBIT WAS \ TARTAR.
one dav fine white rabbit. plump and glossy. was
,cei = Us cage The snake. ccilcd laxurously upon
:. ,.--i m . lazily lifted its head and calmly in
fg.,;.o ~. ,rinc. if 10 satisfy itself that it was
in all re I, fit for its repaSt Tie poor rabbit was
instantly overc mc with horror. This was not away
the case for rabbits. il would seem. are generally
either too stupid or too ignorant TO recognize in the
brightly colored coils OF the python deadly foe.
rule the rabbits had met their end in compar alive
peace No sooner this ole placed on the floor
OF the cage however. than it uttered plantivc cries
expressive of the utmost horror. and hoped into
corner 1t then stood up on its haunches. in thG
hesan msaan'' paving the air with its fore legs.
Roth the posture and the action were unnatural in the
rabbit and evidently only caused by terror. |
gracefully curved neck thrust forward, its black. |
u d.pt in AM
Its head was within foot Of the rabbit. The Later
The beautiful white rabbit It's pink eyes starting from
its head with terror. seemed to be trying TO shut ont
the awful sight The python was evidently pcrplexed,
of ali large serpcnts is we'll known. This had |
never heard rabbit utter such cries, nor one
act in such manner After sa1ins az it for, for fey fey
of the compartment. II unable n make up its mind
to begin the attack. The python, especially in is |
natural state said to suffer acntely from the panGs
voraclty During the day ii had shown the usual
symptoms of returning appetite, and It's present con
duct as could not he laid 10 apathy, was therefore
all the more remarkable.
As the snake retreated the rabbit probably crazed
by terror sprang forward and in another instant had
bitten the python in the neck just behind the head
back TO the further extremity of the cage. The |
py ython so suddenly and unexpectedly attacked had
not tried defend Itself and could not be prevailed
upon again TO approach its naturally timid foe. The
heroic defence Of its life. allowed to live in
happiness according TO the ideas Of rabbits. until its
death from natural causes. Four DAYS acrward the
python died not. the physicians said, from the i'm |
mediate effects Of the bite, but from ganCrene which
developed in the wound Some Of these wise men |
went far to assert (and is today cited by
the rabbits Influence over the python the result
of hypnotism.