The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-21

l
And he pointed to cage in which a huge
serpent lay lin labyrinth of many Z
round seif-rolled," the slow respiration
heaving along it's body as an unbroker
wave licks a ships side "He was fec
last night-had eight fowls, big ones, toe
and he'd have Tapped up as many more
as d have given him.
Dear me- said /; what a very
large appetite"
Large, d'you say? Why, that's moth
ing at all. He'd eat as many more, and
you and me, and all, Rabbits we give
them, and rats; and this chapll have
to get pig or something to do him
good. Alive? Yes, of course but they
Kill them quicker than you or | could
They just curl round them and they're
dead before you could say knife
I said knife under my breath, and
for my comfort tried to imagine the
sWiftness of the pigs death. "How Of
ten are they fed?" l asked.
about once a fortnight This python
was fed last night; if you come to-mor-
row you'll ask if it's the same one, it'll
have sWelled so much It's the food do
ing him good. He'll hardly move for
a fortnight. You can touch this one IL
you like and If you're quick enough
about it,
| The impulse that leads one to dangle
ones feet over precipice made me ae-
cept the invitation. The keeper opened
tiny door in the python's cage, and,
just within the thickest part of the huge
green coil was lying, l placed my hand
on the quivering, shining skin, while
/ kahnGr tphn tIn
! Suddenly, 'That'n do Wo Billy"
said he, slamming the door as the snake
raised it's evil head and darted out
vibrating forked thread from between
its jaws. Time to clear out when he
| lifts his head; he'd be out and have you
| in another second"
But doesn't it take q minute or two
to unravel itself?" / asked, when ] had
recovered.
"A minute or two! Just as long as
1t takes fly to wink its eye-thats all
the time he wants. He won't keep you
waiting longer than that. They'd take
me as soon as you, or anybody else.
Clever! No, they're not clever. Snakes
aren't as clever as they would be If they
had more brains; their brains are too
small. But they know me all right.
they know me by the rattle of my keys
when I come to feed them, When |
come in the dark sometimes I can hear
that twenty fve-foot~ jumping
about the cage like a good un, and |
can't open the door sometimes to give
him his meat. He'd go for me the same
as if was a fowl; and when he's hungry
| keep away--I should be afraid of be-
ing Tapped up
We moved on TO a cage of cobras.
"You think you could catch hold of one
of those when they'ree obstropolous,
but they're rum uns, | tell you" OF
the ratle-snakes he said They'll never
touch you without giving warning; if
you hear the rattle, you're all right; If
you don't you get buried"
With this ominous remark the keeper
was about to leave me, but I had
question to ask him about snakes that
/ thought would embarrass him. The
way had to be prepared cunningly,
Il suppose you know a good deal
about snakes?" ! asked, with studied
carelessnes The man modestly replied
thai he thought he knew whatever was
to be known on the subject do snakes
ever swallow each other?" was my next
question.
Yes; I once had two pythons in a
cage, one a few feet longer than the
other One morning when | came /
found the big one alone, looking pretty
fat with the smaller ones head just
peeping out of his mouth. But | made
him fetch it up; | beat him with
switch from the tail upwards, and he
disgorged it inch by inch, and it wasn't
penny the worse"
/ drew long breath. "Tn your opin-
ion, as an expert I said, what would |
happen if three. snakes caught hold of
each other by the tails, in the form of
a circle and began to eat each other?"
''Why, of course-ln' m--what did you
say, sir? In a circle? Oh, I see now. |
TIM hanged if it didn't puzzle me for
You see, the first snake would |
swallow the others. What's that?
Which is the first snake? Why, the
one-of course, it's being swallowed it.
self, isn't it? Hang it, there is no first |
snake! Anyway I've lived with snakes
and I've never seen them do that, or try I
to. You see, the last snake would be |
gound to swalow-no--well, l must be I
off, sir, good morning"
He walked off scratching his head and |
muttering under his breath, leaving me |
to revise my notions about the activity
python and said knife" to myeelf-
Manchester Guardian.
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