Sharp County record., 1891-04-02
CONSTRUCTING SNAKES.
Something About the Habits and Pecu-
liarities of the Python.

An English naturalist, who has made
special study of snakes, gives some
interesting facts concerning the habits
of the reticulated-that is, having q
skin bearing the appearance of a net
python which he claims to be much
misunderstood reptile.
There are two kinds of constructing,
non-poisonous snakes which are found
in Asia. The reticulated pythons is an
inhabitant of the Malay countries The
other species is the rock snake of India
and Ceylon. They are generally akin
to the boas of South America; but,
whereas it is disputed point whether
boas lay eggs or produce their young
alive, pythons are undoubtedly ovipa-
rous.
There was a famous python in the
Jardin de Plantes, which actually
hatched a brood of young ones in the
year 1S41, after lying on fifteen eggs,
which she had collected in a conical pile,
for about eight weeks.
1t is more than probable that most of
the snake stories" which are told
against the python are gross libels on it's
character. 1t rarely attacks human be-
ings; and though there is an authenti-
catedSase of python having killed a
MalayNhe is supposed TO have given
himself away" by going to sleep on the
bench.
Again, it is hardly necessary to say
that those pictures of a full-grown buff
falo or deer, in the act of being de-
'oured by python, which decorated
the natural-history books of our youth,
,s are due entirely to the imagination of
ehe artist
me eIaiiilgs,ast Iai igS,sst nrtNon in the geological
gardens in London is fed habitually on
ducks, and those competent to speak
with authority on the subject, are GER
tain that he could not swallow an ami
NAL larger than half-grown sheep.
Nor can you honestly say that the
python is voracious. 1t takes him a
month to digest an animal of any size,
and he frequently goes for many weeks
without food A fast of twenty-five
weeks is quite common, when the rep
tile is in semi-torpid condition; and
there is a recorded instance of a pro-
longed abstinence from food of a year
and eleven months, which was accom-
plished without any perceptible ill-ef-
fects, He is also a slow eater, the oper-
alton of gorging taking about two hours.
The method by which the python
bags his game is sportsmanlike in the
extreme. At one time he will lie low
in the water and seize his victim by the
nose when in the act of drinking At
another he will swing lazily from a
tree by his prehensile tail, and as the
animal passes underneath, will fix his
jaws in the neck. In a twinkling the
coils are round the body of the prey and
all life is crushed out of it.
Nothing can exceed the wonderful
mechanism by which the folds of the
serpent, unaided by the eye, are used
to get the victim into an attitude con-
venient for swallowing-for instance,
in dealing with the outstretched wings
of duck, Indeed, when very hungry,
python can tackle three birds at once,
holding one in his mouth and two more
an his coils So far from being petri-
fed with horror, as the legend has it,
the victim appears absolutely indiffer-
ent to the snake until it is seized, and
then there is small time for reflection.
Rabbits have actually been seen to nib
BILE at the monster which was about to
devour them, and an enterprising rat
once bit piece out of python which
was in lethargic condition.
Again, the stories of constructors COW
ering their prey with saliva before
swallowing them must be rejected. No
doubt saliva flows freely during the
process, but mere glance at the rep
tiles slender tongue demonstrates how
untitled it is for its supposed Office,
1t is, at least certain that pythons do
not go through the saliva operation in
captivity, and it is unlikely that any
spectator has had the opportunity, as
well as nerve to scientifically note the
performance of u python in his native
wilds Golden Days,
CURIOUS MARRIAGE CUSTOMS