The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-30
SACACITY OF SNAKES.
They Know How to Prepare for the Ad-
vent of Cold Weather.

They Know How to Prepare for the Adj
vent of Cold Weather.
From the Philadelphia Press.
The student of animal life at the
geological gardens is startled frequent
ly by the remarkable display of sagac-
ity that Is some times made by the in
mates OF that interesting place. What.
for instance. could be more clever,
more thoughtful or more amazing than
the action of the indigo snake when
cold weather comes on. 1t was illus
trated yesterday. The first breath of
cool air that was waited across the
garden informed the indigo snakes
that a cold wave was at hand. They
could not hide their heads under their
wings like the robin of the nursery
book. They could not take violent ex-
erclsc and warm up their blood, for
their blood will not warm. So they
settle the problem by swallowing each
other in turn. One indigo snake will
swallow his better half. for example.
until she becomes thoroughly warmed
up. and then she will swallow him un-
til he feels comfortable.
Ut is a very clever action on the part
OF these snakes. IL vindicates their
character. The fact that they swallow
one another Is usually put down by
unthinking people to ignorance. They
say that the indigo snake will swallow
anything. even dts friends. Perhaps
that Is the reason the snake story fiend
always stations himself In front of the
indigo snakes cage. He knows that
no matter how big a lie he tells the
snake will swallow 1t as nonchalantly
as though IL were a piece of garden
hose or some such luxury. But more
remarkable in sagacity than the indigo
snake are the tropical birds in the
aviary. They are probably the most
wonderful geniuses ever seen at the
zoo" Coming as they did from In
dias coral strand and other places
where thermometers die of the fever
and the iceberg is unknown, they find
themselves unprepared for the rigor of
the climate here. Such was the con-
dillon OF the number OF the new bird
arrivals from India Saturday. They
had nothing but their light summer
patamas with them. and when the Bit
ing winds came whistling into their
cottage they were chilled to the bone.
Their bills chartered like a telegraph
instrument on the night of a prize
fight, and they shivered terribly.
Then their sagacity came to their
rescue. They noticed that as the cooler
weather drew near a large crop of
down appeared on some of the other
birds, who were more accustomed 70
the change or temperature. They won
dered whether a similar growth would
make its appearance on them, but, like
the youth who watches for his first
mustache, they were disappointed. The
down did not come. They consulted
their tropical friends who had been at
the 200" for more than a year. The
latter winked and whispered a few
words to them which raised hope in
their troubled breasts. That night at
IL minutes past ~ these tropical birds
went out in a body and attacked the
other birds who had more down than
they. With sharp bills the tropical
birds plucked the down from their
sleeping roommates. Little by little
they pulled forth the feathers, until
they had stolen all they possessed.
Taking the down they Intervene 1t so
cleverly in their own feathers that It
looked perfectly natural. This kept
them nice and warm. OF course 1t
made other birds down on them, but
they didn't care so long as they had
warm friends among each other.