The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-08-13
nou SNAKES MOVE ABOUT.
HAVING No LkGA THEY WALK
wran runsn NM.


".
pRehend hoW these reptiles.
without either legs OF wings
or fms, caA mOve rAotdU q land. IN wat
or or In the tSee4
II we besia 10 thiMk absat the question.
we viii fnd thAt y = not - easy TO Aa-
swer. Grown po0Dae belaeve that they set
tie the problem BY saying that snakes
This answer. however, is imperfect. Ind
does not solve the puzzle. for II Is qatte
true that snakes can and do soAAetfnseO
walk III line perfectly straight. without
any w9tgeiin4 Or sinuous motion whatever.
This problem of how snakes move b .
mixed one. and, like all complex Questiones
Is difacuit to answer. In order b make IL
to begin ~ l&ying down the statement
that n serpent locomotion muscular force
= applied = three different ways:
/ A footlike movement Of the ribs
3 A lateral movement of the spine.
q A combiNation Of BOTH
For the better comprehension of these
three ways of movement and for giving at
the same time q clear idea of the wonder
ful capacities of snakes for getting about.
u is weil To taks few typical Instances
Of serpent locomotton. and through them
come at the secret means % each gym
nasiic feat or these ieeaess. fin3ese wing
less reptilian athletes.
where Serpents Abound.
South Africa IL pre-eminently a country
e snakes, writes q r. O'Reilly. and e
was there that he studied his Afst lessons
n serpent life history--from nature her
self, while rambling through bush and
yeldt.
On a sultry afternoon. when the hot
wind was blowing dry and sitting as from
the mouth OF an oven, sat In the shade
At tAa~ Leo fal
vine near Grahamstown. Ne sign Of life
was stirring. save the sun-oofn lizards
careering over the hot rocks Soon a snake
made his appearance He was a large pug
addef-a viper whose very name inspires
terror IN the Inhabitants of South Africa,
for he ID one Of the most deadly that tho
earth produces. He was full-grown. about
three feet long. His body at the middle
was as thick as q mans arm and tapered
OR suddeniy to a short tail.
His he1d was broad ana Nat, while his
neck va thin. On the back he was Of
deep velvet black, with large halt.moods
of Golden yellow all the way down ff0m
head to taiL Beneath he was Of Rohden
yellow. but little OF this could be seen A.
he moved with delfberat.on. He came out
from the bushes by my side. While he
passed along among the obGtrucune
stones hls course was moro or less Wind
ing. but when he began to 50 over The
clear ground he astonkhed me BY pro-
crossing with his backbone perfectly
straight.
Not = WriGale, hut u WA1k.
In very truth he was going in direct
line and was actually walking. He was
not more than ten yards from me and AZ
/ put up my opera glass to observe him
carefully saw clearly bow Il was that
he could 80 forward without any deviation
or wriggling. There were motlons-wave-
Ike motions passing along his sides. The
fact was thau his ribs were moving back
ward and forward like legs beneath hb
skin.
Their waveiike movements were very
similar to the undalatory motion o. the
legs OF the miliipede. Ihad observed this
motion before in my Gagged snakes, but had
never heretofore understood It. l deter
mined. therefore. to catch this pun adder.
take him home. put him into a glass
fronted cage and make a more close OBJ
servation Of this curious and unexpected
method OF locomotion. Before I stood up
TO 60 toward Rim he was advancing at his
1iowest--a walking pace. let IN call it---but
when he saw me stirring near him he ac-
CELEBRATED his rate OF progres1-broke into
q run, ~ we may say. for the RIB waves
began to pass along his SIDES at a much
live1ier rate. Still, with this simultaneous
never once bent his spine or devfated one
lot from his straight course.
Having satisfied myself OF this through
the opera glass I took hold OF my stick
and approached him. AZ ! drew nearer
he became alarmed. gave up his direct lfne
OF progress and took 70 the gliding meth
Cd ana went on rapidly with the common
siruoas motion usually adopted when in
flight.
Hitherto he had left 4 straight groove
marked behind him on the sand; now he
left An S-'ike traii. In comparison with
his previously dignifIed march this hurried.
winding flight was like the course of a
drunken sailor flying before an angry po-
Eceman.
CaPtaring . Prise.
When I came up With him he stopped
abruptly and prepared for battle. He gath
cred hfmsrIf into sort Of coli. held down
the point OF his nose, and began blowing
or putting 10 loudly al to be audible at .
distance OF ifty or seventy yards.
had to take great care In catching him.
far hy accident or carelessnesa ! might
have kot bite. and bite might have
meant death within ten minutes The
stick which I used was about six feet long
and 4, one end was bent off at a slight
angle This bent on part I placed across
his neck, and with n pressed his head
against; the ground. Then holding the
stick with the right hand and Keeping II
securely pressed down with the left knee
I took him round the throat with my lefs
hand and carried him e6 fornewsrd. hold
ing him nj! the time firmly but not tightly
round the threat.
On my home went cautiously. TAX
ing care not to stumble or fall or get
caught In thoYny byamfies. for he hAd his
saugs always ready 20 nip me. For the
mos; part Of the Journey be struggled bat
little 10 escape. and he did rot lash hfS
body around me as the long. thin snakes
do. but hung psrpendicuiariy from any
hand Nv fingers got So tired from keep
ing him Eraspesi In one position. for had
To walk some miles. that thought several
ssrnes that should have 80 LEI him 80.
Al last. however, arrived safely horne
and got him into his cage. dropping him
In tail hrsf--a very dangerous proceeding
which. in nav Imperfect knowledge Of
snakes at the time msgaf easily save
cost me nay sic. 0nes in tire oage-~a large
one usfh the entire frrrt az glass; had
s,x ais