The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-07-25
A MARKET FOR SNAKES.
NEW YORK HAS a WELL KEPT
sNAKERY AT HOME.
interesting Information ON Somewhat
Unpleasant subject-Habits OF
the wriggiing Reptiles to
be Seen There.

New York Is the chief snake market
OF the continent. Donald Burns Is
known as the king of the snake trade,
says the Sun. You would not suspect
1t bv the appearance OF his little shop
with its walls lined with tiers Of cages
with monkeys, parrots, and birds Of
every sort, with u few great" cats and
q couple of big clumsy tapirs thrown
In. But II you convince Mr.. Burns
that you really want to see snakes. he
will take you up stairs into quiet
back room and show you enough to
affect your dreams for month. He
will also tell you some very interesting
things about his stealthy crawling live
stock. He will even allow you to hold
fourteen foot boa constructor in your
lap II you insist upon it. That up
stairs back room has a large cage in
one end of it. with some cross bars
inside, supported on stout poles like a
thick set chicken roost. On the floor
is a good-sized tub OF clean water.
There are snakes enough in this cage
to seriously impair the saloon business
of the whole Fourth ward II they
should be turned loose in the streets.
There Is not O snake there less than
four feet long, and there are some big
fellows OF twelve and fourteen. which
weigh from forty to fifty pounds each.
Most of them are boas and pythons.
None are poisonous but the big ones
can bite viciously when they feel like
it. Mr.. Burns and his assistant handle
them with impunity, being always
careful to grasp them with one hand
firmly just below the head.
These snakes. in their native wilds.
live in trees from which they leap
down upon their prey. Consequently
most of them climb up upon the
perches or roosts in the cage. where
they twist themselves all around the
wooden bars and around each other.
Those crowded of the roosts stretch
themselves lazily on the floor. There
are also half a dozen in the tub of
water, for snakes are very clearly in
their habits and battle every day.
You will notice that some of the snakes
appear stout. almost distended, while
others are very slim. The stout ones
are still and somnolent while the slim
ones are nervous and move about.
The stout snakes have fed recently.
That big one in the corner has four
rabbits and hen tucked away inside
of him, which he only devoured a few
days ago.
If you look sharply you will discov-
err several forlorn white mice in the
cage which have so tar escaped the
appetite Of the snakes. They are all
that are left OF good many mice put
there several days ago. These little
fellows are huddled together in cor
ner in an awful state of fright. Moth
ing will induce them to advance an
inch nearer the snakes. If you try to
push them away from the wire netting
they will seize it with their legs and
hang fast like grim death. Some of
them have climed up the netting to
the top of the cage, where they cling
fast in abject terror.
If the little mice only knew it. they
are safe from those larger boas prowl-
ing around the cage. These big fell
lows disdain to notice such small game.
xNobhAuB ACoo bhhh a IdpOAt VI dU iOttob
large rat is worthy of their appe-
tites. Before long, however, some Of
those four or five foot snakes will feel
hungry and relieve the trembling mice
of their misery and lives at the same
time.
Snakes will not touch dead food.
They must find their game alive, and
kill it themselves. A bon strikes it's
prey viciously. Holding fast by its
great jaws it wraps its powerful coils
about the body and squeezes out its
life. Then it breaks all the bones in
the same terrible wise. and having re-
duced the body to a rag, it gorges it.
The snakes throat and body are capa-
BILE of enormous distention. When
gorged the boa crawls to some quiet
spot, and lies down for n week or SO
to digest it.