Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-10

eggs, but nobody knows with certainty. Can't
bendifa v sure Of IL. He has charge Of all the
egg. At the Smithsonian Institution. while
ago he dissectcd helcderma and found eight
eRgs inside OF H. Each OF them was three
quarters OF an inch long by one-third of an
men IN width. blunty pointed at each end and
IN shape IKE the egg Of an alligator. They
we're covered with smooth. soft white skin
however, instead of with q hard glossy she'll
like those of the saurian referred to II NAV
De tnst they wonld have Matched before
oirtn, the young coming into the world alive
as nsPpens with many reptiles, but this did not
TEE HEloDrRx.s HAnfrs.
1he heloderma Lives in holes at ;he roots of
trees or under masses Of vegetable debris.
There II remains for the greater part of the
day, rolled up and almost motionless II,
rarely issnes from this state Of torpor save be-
Tore daybreak or in the evenings. when il
comes out and leeds upon such slow moving
insects as II can capture. Small batrachisns
ana even putrefying animal matter contribute
10 i~ diet IL IL very fond OF the eecs of
groand-nesting birds, which it swallow. whole.
and probably IL finds the nestlings toothsome
morseis. Il frightened ii rears its body from
tne ground, opens its mouth wide. snaps its
forked tongue ont and in and gives vent 20 a
threatening blowing sound Dead specimens
winch reach the Smithsonian Institution are
usually badly mutilated. because the persons
VINO captured them were afraid 20 handle them
nnti they had eithee shot them pretty nearly
to pieces or otherwise made perfectly certain
That they were dead. Nevertheless. every now
anu then live one arrives. Superintendent
Moran OF the National Museum has been bitten
oy tnem half dozen times without experience
ing any serious results.
FURTHER EXPERIMENTS TO Be MADE.
DIR. Stejneger. who runs the snake DEPART
ment at the Smithsonian. has another CHA
monster, with which be is going TO try some
experiments Of his own as TO the disputed
enects OF the venom upon animals. Chickens
ana pigeons Will be subjected 10 the action OF
the poison, hypodermically administered
AFTER exhibiting this treasure Yesterday the
doctor plunged his hand into a tin can and
drew out a handfulof writhing serpents. They
we're young ones and quite harmless he ex-
planned. spreading adders" he called them.
Ihey mad bright, bead-like eyes, and when he
stroked them each one would spread out 70
they had been Matched from eggs which were
found IN bole across the Potomac in yir-
ginia- This kind Of serpent has beak shaped
IKE pillow Tor the purpose Of digging hole in
which to lay its eggs
Another curiosity in the possession of the
doctor was horned toad that squirts blood out
OF It's eyes when il is angry. Also there were a
garter snake with two heads and a fiying liz
ara WIN ~ing-like appendages. the framework
IN jars fuh OF alcohol were dozens of species
OF lizards and serpents obtained recently from
Death valley. some of them are very curious
one KIND OF lizard has a tail striped with black
ana white which II cocks over its back like a
squirrel when II runs. There are slimy toads
with bony ridges on their heads from the same
iocaiity ana many other queer things besides.