The times., 1899-08-27
The Bermuda Grouper.

AT the aquarium there is usually q
knot of attractive spectators. They seen
tc find much to wonder at in the group
er,' warm-sea fish, specimens of which
were recently presented to the District
Aquarium by the New York Aquarium.
The Bermuda groupers are so-called on
account Of their habit of grouping to-
gether. There are plenty of fishes that
on occasions by accident or design may
come together side by side, or in some
other regular order or formation, but
4 there are few Aif any that get together as
I the groupers do. In the tank at the Aqua
rum. these fishes may be seen, half a
+ dozen or more Of them at a time. ranged
/ alcng the glass at front of the tank, heads
/ all to the front, and with their bodies
! tapping one another diagonally with uni
/ form regularity. Sometimes at feeding
Z time they stand, or rather suspend them
selves in the water side by side, in a uni
/ form rank, heads up, near the surface,
and wait there for the man with the food,
whose step they may have heard on the
! platform back of the tanks.
curious illustration of the fishes ten
dency TO group was shown in another way.
Into tank in which there were two par
rot fishes, there was put also groupe-.
One OF these parrot fishes was not feeling
very lively; instead of swimming aTouni
il lay on the botsSn of the tank, over in
one corner, just breathing and taking
things easy. This was the groupers op-
portunity, and it stretched out on the bot
tom of the tank right alongside the parrot
fish and as close TO ii as il could get, and
stayed there.
Callers at the Snake Den.
The snake den at the Zoo is commonly
-oll Nv nd
of the visitors whom The Times man met
there is collector" whose fondness for
reptiles leads him to hunt them. He talks
entertainingly on mis- hobby.
.All you need 10 catch snakes" he said,
lis the courage TO withstand the instinct
against lnem; a branch five feet long, with
a fork at the end, spreading an inch and
half, and cotton bag or two TO carry
your specimens in. Reach out quietly
from behind and get the fork directly over
the specimens neck; then press down
quickly but gently, SO as net to bruise or
break, and you have it tight. Take it by
the head, holding its jaws closed then you
can safely release it-for it cannot harm
you-and drop ii in your collecting bag.
You must be careful quick, and sure; and
If the specimens are large enough TO hurt
when they bite, you must be firm and cour-
ageous in every move if you wish to avoid
an unpleasant sensation. There is no real
danger in the sport in this vicinity, for
the venomcus snakes are nearly extinct;
they are easily identified at any rate, and
can be left alone.
We collectors keep our specimens in
boxes-elass or pine, as we choose-with
piece OF wire window screening over the
top. ! keep an Indian rock python eighteen
feet long and weighing 150 pounds, with
but fiimsy wire netting to hold it in con-
inement. They will never try to break
out Of their cages; the important thing is
to keep the boxes tight if you want to keep
them in, for they usually want TO go
through hole if they see one. Moist earth,
rocks, branches, ferns, and moss are kept
Ia the cages for the comfort and amuse-
ment OF the specimens. They like to
stretch cut over the rocks, TO hide in the
moss. and TO twine themselves about the
branches ] have fitted up one cage with
ladders, horizontal bars, trapezes, and thu
like, for some OF my small snakes | call
il their gymnasium and their tricks. when
they are lively, amuse the whole family
Woodland Carriers.
Garter snakes; the most easily domes-
ticated. if such a word may be properly
used, need nothing more for food than
earthworms; they like tadpoles better. but
they will thrive and grow fat on worms.
Frogs are good food for all the varieties
TO be found about Washington. They NAV
be six times the size of the specimens
neck II is important TO keep a bowl of
fresh water in the box Snakes drink
good deal, and they get canker In the
mouth II they have not water enough. Half
the snakes in captivity die from that cause
Ii is common complaint but ii can be
cured by opening the snakes mouth with
tootnplck and throwing a little finely |
powdered borax in. As rule the specf- |
mems may be. kept in good health with |
conmon-sense care and not too much /
handling. They viii sleep from October
until April; and they can be disposed of |
Tor that time by putting them in the cell I
lar ~ a boX fllled with earth. We get very |
iond OF our specimens, by the way, and |
they get familiar with US, but whether at /
tached TO US or not, i have never been able |
TO determine
Only two yenomous snakes. the rattler |
and the copperhead, are 10 be found IN |
and Virginia With the excep-
ton OF these two pit vipers,' there are
within fifty miles OF the city no snakes
which could seriously injure a human be-
ing. The largest of the non-yenomous
varieties 10 be found" said the collector.
is the true black snake. commonly
called the blue racer because of
us beautiful blue ventral surface
baek IL grows TO be six or eight feet /
long, and is not uncommon In hot wealth
er II viii fight rather than fly. and il NAV
Jump at and bite its assailant But the
greatest injury ii can do is to draw blood
and il cannot do that even through thin
clothing Though called constructor. il
uses its coils only to hold, not TO kill. it's
prey, and it is not to be feared on account
Of that
The sUoffed Adder
The milk snake or spotted adder. colo-el
! beautiful brown and spotted white on the
sides. is common in the meadows. It grows
70 length of four feet, and is to be found
mostly in swampy places. 1t can bite but
wall not attack; and ii is quite harmless
so far as its sting is concerned. though
y Is commonly believed TO be poisonous
Nater-snakes, called water -moccasins'
are also common. They have a black or
brown body, with transverse bands and
haunt the banks of streams where they
Ind eels and small frogs for food II pur
sueG, they Will dive, and can remain under
water for short time. They have unus-
1ally long and sharp teeth; they are fierce
nghiers, and can give a bad wound. Great
caution must be exercised in catching
Lnenl; but they are easily tanned, and can |
safely be handled in captivity"
The puff adder, variously known as The
spread-head adder" the blowing Vi
per, the hog -nosed SNAKE is said to be
he most interesting snake of this locality.
Us common names are all descriptive: its
over jaw is slightly turned up, and, when
Hanger threatens. it initiates its lung TO
three times the normal size, spreads"
Is head, and lies still, as a possum does
Consequently there Is a common belief