The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20
PRICED wRIGGLING PETS.
a REGULAR TRADE IN SNAKES AND
THINGS THAT SOUIRM.

Priced Fish-Care of AquRriums-A Conn
morcial Insect Demnnd-AF Fish Hospital.
Up among the reptiles at the Snake Show a
SUN reporter found a Jolly little German wo-
man whose name was Mrs. EggelinH. She
was lowering around her own exhibit. and the
pride written on her face was not to be won
dered at. for her snakes are living pampered
lives in glass cases amid moss and stones and
mimic castles. -
Across tho hall the dlamond-baok rather.
with its family OF fifteen baby %rnttlers. squinted
Indignantly at the ERReling snRkelets and the
king snake snapped its jaws wickedly as II it
said: Just let me get at those measly little
ERgeling dudesl I'll make just one mouthful
apiece OF them" But the snakelets went
right on wriERlinG through tho tiny forests
and going through four windows Of the castle
at once. until finally the jealous reptiles across
the hall curled themselves in a corner Of their
plain wooden boxes and sulked.
Ono OF the pampered group. however. q
pinkish thunder snake from the South, got SO
friskv that 1t almost came to grief. In its lit
tie glass house there was a piece OF wood and
a good-sized lump Of imitation stone with sew
eral holes through it. The thunder snake.
which was about two feet long and three-auar-
ters OF an inch thick, had got a little too gay
and had started through one Of the holes in the
Imitation stone. For about three inches all
went well. Then it struck its largest diane
ter. and there 1t stuck. When Mrs. Eggeling
and the reporter found the snake It was
twisted around so that the under side Of It's
head was uppermost. and. 1t looked like q very
unhappy snake. Its little German mistress
rescued the snake by breaking the stone, and
then how it did wriEgle with delight!
1T was eighteen years" said Mrs. Eggeling.
before could bring myself to handle q snake.
We feed them on meal worms. you know. and
NJ frat I youad I would pavar to,,oh a,ra, ,
meal worm. But now 1 don't mind the snakes
at all. Isn't he a pretty one? They have all
been over at the Pratt Institute and the teacher
has made them so tame / can do anything
with them.
"A good many ladies want o snake for q pet
Just because they want to be odd, and you
must admit that two or three little ribbon
snakes look pretty running around in the grass
and over the stones. How much do they cost2
Well. the common ones. such as the garter
snakes. adders, green. brown and black snakes.
cost from 20 cents to 81 so. Rattlesnakes cost
from $3.50 to $40. milk snakes about a dollar.
glass snakes about $3.50. and so on. l suppose
most people would laugh at the idea OF a mar
ket price for snakes. but | Just tell you that
there are mighty few things that you can't
| find a buyer for. IL you only wait long enou gh.
Do you know the regular price for tadpoles?
Or for water walking sticks? Or little live
snails? No? / thought you wouldn't. Well.
you just drop in and see my family some day.
Maybe it will interest you
Thus encouraged. the reporter dropped In
the very next day and found Mrs. ERgeling ex-
aiming a squirming mass OF salamanders and
lizards from the midst OF which tiny green
frogs hoped from time to time. Around the
wall was a row Of aquariums. but Mrs. Eggel-
ing dismissed these without much notice.
You come upstairs with me- she said. and
I'll show you my pets"
She led the way up some narrow. steep
steps into some rooms where there were still
more aquariums. 1t was cold up there. but
Mrs. Eggeling's pride in her pets made up for
that.
Aren't they beauties2" she demanded.
pausinG before a case Of gold and white fish
which shone like FURNISHED metal ''Those
cost $40 apiece" she added impressively.
largest Of their Kind in New York. See their
big eyes, That's, why they are called tele-
and they are called celestial telescope fish be-
cause their eyes are right on top of their heads.
.nd know 4 q gentleman mt who has On S9uarium;
this kind that he calls Gogglely because it has
such big eyes, and every morning when he
out Of his hand. Oh, you'd be surprised to.
know how many people have pet fish. Here's
had 1t two years and when she went TO the
country for the GUNNER she BROUGHT it to me
~ hS'p. .NoN DIX . dJ. q HUG NhIllIk " her
house, to, be put in order and when she's set
tied she'll have her aquarium back again.
a globe which was quite full Of a dark green
plant: Il have a little sick fish down in there
and so | put him in the hospital. This plant
is. excellent for its healing properties and he
will n live alone Soi in here SsotLill he gets g yell ! There
that is sick with fungus. Fungus is what
gives the most trouble among aquarium fish.
Of them. generally by the fins, you must take
him out at once or all the others will get it.
The reason people have had So much
trouble in keeping fish In aquari1ms?, Well.
they crowd too many fish into one globe. Only
so many fish can live In a certain quantity OF
t Thn1sF times fna T t6st hRS s2Pb5e want 81 c % hsye sh ep dsE
die. Another reason IS that they starve. Some
RFsS0Hle f are careless relies a 6tSsrs feeding tSiIt t their T tIsh;
there are plants in an aquarium there are
enough insects on these plants TO feed the fish.
is that people used to Keep fish in glass globes
without sand and the aquatic plants which are
think SO. but II is better to keep n fish in a
little aquarium properly stocked with plants.
the evaporation. than it Is to keep 1t in a tank
Of clear running water without plants.
lish An eitheri Yo sn0 see hot how Rn thie sG0 t RGeR M sTer
looks. Well. IL is as clear as that in the older
globes. but the sun has been shining here and
II causes a fine green growth on the glass. BY
the way. do you see the little snalIs IN all the
aquariums2 You'll never guess why they are
there. They are the little housekeepers. They
clean the inside Of the glass and keep it bright
and shining. We don't have to feed them.
the leaves of the plants.
Here are some more little Japanese fishes.
These are only two years old and they haven't
google eyes. 40 they are. worth only So or So
each. But look at their beautiful fringed
tails. By the way. the Celestial telescope fish
are worth, a pretty pennyaafrom, $40 to $50
apiece, These are pretty fish. these comet
tails. but they cost only 80 cents or ST. Now,
fuEa thnSa Xln nlh nNnF fhara / EnntLnga &ln
seems a big price to pay for a little fish only
three or, four inches long-not counting its
lovely tail. thought Its tail is longer than its
body. But people who keep fish for a while
grow fond OF them; Indeed they do.
"A gentleman who lives ut one OF the swell
hotels here got an aquarium, and he carries it
to the country with him and back again regu-
larry. Another gentleman told me that when
his wife got an aquarium he thought it was all
foolishness. but now they spend hours watch
ing the fishes and feeding them, Lots Of the
schools have aquariums. too. and they always
want ,tadpoles. Well. tadpoles. are in great de-
mand anyway, Some people like to put little
turtles in their aquariume, but j don't approve
of IL hppaugb the turtla9 like IN bitA the Hshaa'