, 1890-11-08

In Port of spainj a professor named
O'Reilly has been lecturing on snakes and
snake poison, illustrating his lecture with the
exhibition of live reptiles. What the Ca
zette'' describes as a thrilling incident
occurred az one Of his lectures :
"The Professor had taken q Rattlesnake
from it's cage and was describing it. He had
also got Mr.. Syl. Devenish to hold it at the
lower end 80 as to make it rattle, q process
which was successful, the sharp rafting
being heard all over the hall. Az Mr..
OReilly was holding the serpent about the
middle and the fore part Was c irving In all
directions, a most unpleasant sensation per
vaded the audience, as the head woult often
come near and touch the body Of the show
man apparently ready to bite. But the
anxiety was brought to a climax when the
snake made q sudden dart at Mr.. ORelllys
hand, with it's Jaws wide open and It's tangs
straight ahead. A thrill of horror went
through the spectators, and Mr.. Deyensh
who was on the first row rushed forward to
assist what he considered the wounded lee
turer. Bat to the great relief Of all it was
found that the fangs had only touche d the
coat sleeve and not the arm. The venom
had bean squirted less than the fractlon OF
al inch from the skin of the wrist Mr..
~ GESIlJ Qlu IlOb FOS6 u4S SUty bOt% All lh0
emergency, though paling somewhat, and con-
tinued speaking on the dangerous subject he
had in hand. AT the general request, how
ever, he returned the serpent to it's cage.
We have no personal knowledge of Trinidad
rat; lers, but if it requires two men TO make
one of them rattle, they must be a poor lot.
We have never had any trouble in making a
Demerara one rattle, simply by stirring him
up with a straw. Why the lecturer held this
particular snake by the middle if he lid not
wish the snake to bite him we caunoG under
stand. Probably the professor is an ophloio.
glcal dentist. But granting the snake had
its poison fangs in working order, the incl,
dent will not bear comparison with the cap.
ture of q RATHER on Pin. Greenfield, SOME
time last year, by MIR. Watson, the head over.
teer. He saw q snake amongst the cana
grash and taking it to be a yello~-talI, he
stopped to catch it. AS he did 80, the snake
darted at his hand and missed it but squirted
it's venom over it. Mr. Watson did not pals
somewhat. He immediately iammed the
snake to the ground with his stick, AelEed
it by the neck, took it to- his quarters, then.
sent it to the Museum in Georgetown, whore
we saw it alive not long since. Another
similar incident is related in that most inter
essing book the Life OF Charles Waterton.
At q scientific Conversations held IN the
north of England, attended by a large num-
Der Of savants, q large box with mathematics
was placed in the centre of che hall, a the
snakes taken out one by one for experiment
tai purposes. No one observed that the lid
of the box had been left open, until attention
was called to the appearance ct q lively and
inquisitive rattle-snake preparing TO take
part in the proceedings. There was q SUD,
DEN dispensing of the man of science each
eager to save his precious life and in the
midst of the COMMUNION Waterton. cool OF
nerve, and steady of hand. walked up to the
box, seized the reptile by the neck. replaced
him with his brethren and closed the box.
-Kvoss the ArOosy. 0Js. la.l