The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-12-23

A South African Tale that Involves Many
Puzziing SpecuiatiOns.

PuzziinE SpecuiatiOns.
Every one il familiar with the little trick con-
trivances. originally OF Japanese construction,
which consist in n series OF boxes. one inside the
other, until after opening box after box. each
smaller than its predecessor, the e~xperimenter
finds in the centre a tiny kernel OF wood. EQUAL
ly familiar is the April fool postage constructed
on the same principle, where the victim receives
a large express parcel. and after paying the
charges unwinds wrapping after wrapping. and
opens box after box, only to find nothing but a
wnd OF paper In the centre. From South Africa
comes a tale OF a living series of container and
contained somewhat in this same line. One
Arthur f.. Whey, In a letter To the London Times.
vOuchcs for the story.
Near where Mr.. Whey lives at Ceres, Cape
Colony, there is an ostrich farm run by a Mr..
Mallcrby. One day Mr.. Mallerby. while out
walking, CHANGED upon a large blacksnake.
Usually these snakes are very swift and difficult
to catch, but this particular reptile moved slug
gishly away when the ostrich farmer ap-
preached. Il was mn easy matter for Mr. NAL
lerhy TO kill the reptile with Il stick which lie
carried. Then lie noticed that the snake was
very fat; quite swollen, in fact, and heavy be-
yond what was to be expected from its size. He
took 1t home and there cut II open. Inside was
II yellow snake almOs; as large as the black
snake. The yellow snake faced the Llacksnake's
tail. This was n surprise. but more was to fol-
low. The yellow snake also looked b!oated. SO
Mr.. Mailerby cut open the yellow snake.
Inside lac found another blacksnake. almost
as biz rs the yellow snake. II faced the same
way ~ the inside snake, Having gone so far in
the dissection business, the expcrimenter pro,
Cccded To lay open the third layer Of serpent,
hoping To turn out Il blue ar "a crimson reptile by
way uf variety, Instead, he found u bunch Of
IL remains OF The two biacksnakes and The
yellow snake. But his scientific thirst Tor ex-
plorat,on vas not vet slaked, and he proceeded
to pUnciurc an egg. Out popped a small black
snAK,, He tried another egg, and got another
just lie IL; Then he went Ia work with a will,
ard When he Lad finished the job lie found HIM
se'i responsible for the production IT thirty
HIiUir "Tuwlrrs. whereas he could credit HIM
s"ll win he destruction 81, only one, Al last
accounts the thirty were still under his care.
From these tata lac has figured our the story
o. The y &c ., ,F,rE the inaSss; E.iIsntlE the egg,
80" wasn't very Nhrly, tOr~when a large yellow
siahc ramr rrc"piug along behind her she
urd'rv"ur the ~!rr-unHhly unpleasant sensa-
ton ~ being swallowed tail first. Now the vel
meal I'D drnv sod "Ii, II hadu't been Sleeping
Very lu.F Whri a bigger h'Hr ksnake came along.
sl"'H' >,plharE are very powerful, ana had the
smaller hlag ksEaSe hrcn long in the yellow
su"lr's l%nt'rl"r Il would have been eaten by the
n',h-, VA, whrra, II hardly affected NJ all when
thkrh rul, although u was dead.
Tn" La1rk~nakc Then, seeing a yellow snake
BY IL, ,rai All swallowed II. 1his was un-
d"ub1riiy cannihalism; but then the black
snak" nldut know that in taking in the yellow
snake II vas also eating one OF It's own family.
II WAS puetIc Justice, too, and the Rvenger WAS
peacefully enjoying the rest of the well fed
when Mr.. Ms,lerby cRme along and killed II.
The death must nave followed close Oh the
meal, fer the internal acids of the outside
black snake had not acted ON the yellow snake
any nlgr' than the internal acids Of the yellow
SNAKE lad HCted un the Inside black make. As
FOR the 'ggs, they weren't harmed NJ all.
Aftrrward Hr. Malicrby wHs sorry he didn't
know AL this before hr killr'i the outside SER
pent. Certain interesting questions thHi will
never be- were now suggested themselves TO
him.. Surprising the eggs had hHtChpd inside
the three layers Of snake uhey were pl idently
Just ready Ia hatch out seTpents., what would
have become uf them surprising their mother,
the blacksnHke, AM their foster father, tile
yellow snake. who had provided a home for
them. had both lfeH digcsted by their outside
IRTrLt, the big biHCksnake. aud they had re-
manned rltll in the egg, what WOuld have become
81 them then The outside blttksnAke vas
a male. Wouldn't i be rather to- much,
even IA these day Of female prepIuderancc.
{" tApect a male hlacAsuaks 10 las thirty-two
egg that had rumr no ~ possession purely By
hrrideutf Al-o. II h did - far forget n Tlghts
a. a mansuake, what relation would II he 70 the
on -prirgf Father or mother or hath And
where would the yellow snake and the original
llack-Eake he Ia this miKed-up TelAtionshlp
Mr.. Malierby would Ike some snake expert, n
also kHgSs something about Gensalogy. To come
forh ard aud 6ulIghlen Lin on IlSsa lOlntH.