The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-07
RESULTS OF SNAKE STUDY
THEE SCIENTIFIC VACCINATION OF
 TWO BALTIMORE DOCTORS.

Plea for Discrimination i'm Our Treat-
 ment of fsnakes-Characteristi of the
 Poisonous Varieties.
 A collection of poisonous and harm
 less snakes arranged in boxes in the
 library of pr. Howard A. Kelly l,40o
 Eutaw place, forms the basis of a
 fascinating and yet dangerous scientific
 investigation of the snakes and thelr
 poisons which is being made by pr,
 Kelly and Dr. J. R. Brown. When the Gnakes are approached the warning
 rattle of one of their number IS heard,
 but the timid visitor is treasured when
 he sees that stout wire screen separ-
 ates the snake from him. Behind this
 screen, which forms a door to each box
 of snakes the reptiles contentedly doze In their roomy quarters.
 A short time ago the snakes were talk en over to the Johns Hopkins Medical School, where Dr. Kelly gave the ad- vauced students practical lecture on the reptiles, illustrated from life, and taught them points so as to distingu- ish poisonous snakes from the harmless ones. Dr. Kelly stands up for the snakes and says that the public gene rally and farmers especially should be taught to know the good qualities of snakes The average finder of snake is prone to get a club or piece or rock and beat the snakes head flat so that it can do no more harm, nor good either, in the world. This should not be so, the doctor says
 Tn Dr. Kelly's collection are several ratt1esnakes, with their mottled skins of black and yellow, and with the dla- mond-shaped spots on the back. The smaller one of the rattlers seemed es- pecially pugnacious, and lay coiled m a corner of the box, with tail erect and ratt1es shaking furiously during an ln- terview. An adjoining box contains two oopperheads with their beautiful bronze or copper-colored skins lnno- cent enough they looked and were ap- parent1y 10th to strike, even when stir red up with a wooden ruler.
 Probably the most interesting reptiles in the collection, although not of the snake family, are two gila monsters, as they are called, the ''g' in the name being given the Spanish ''h' sound. These are clumsy looking things, of dull yellow and black, in irregular mott1ed spots They look as if swollen and overgrown with tiny warts. They belong to the lizard family, and with them Is kept another lizard without legs, which is commonly called the "glass snake" but is not snake at all This reptile is black and shiny and looks as if it might be brittle lik~ a piece of glass.
 s In a box on the floor is nondescript collection of harmless snakes. Into this box pr. Kelly plunged his hand and drew forth two black coach-whip snakes which swayed and curved their bodies through the air as he gripped them about the neck and pointed out the beautiful, iridescent shadings on their necks. They were nearly yard long and as thick as a strong mans thumb Others of the on-poisonous snakes in the collection were bullheads, garter snakes and the n-poisonous moccasins A small group of little snakes which might be taken for young reptiles, but are really full-grown, oc- cupies a glass-fronted box. These are scarcely as large as an ordinary lead pencil and no longer. One of them is of a light green shade well calculated to match the grass or bushes in which the snake might be found. Although cornpara lively few of the poisonous snakes are found in Maryland, except in some of the mountainous regions, Dr. Kelly has preserved a small copper head which he found on the Falls road lust beyond the city limits.
 The snakes in the collectionN Ire fed pn live mice and toads and small pieces pf fresh meat when the live food can- not be obtained. They are well sup plied with fresh water both for drink Ing and bathing purposes.
 "It is not generally known" Dr. Kel- Nv said, ''that the onpoisonous snakes are useful in destroying the poisonous varieties. They are also of value to the farmer, as they kill large numbers of mice and other pests. For these reasons largely, in order that the stu dents might become acquainted with the snakes and be able to distinguish between the poisonous and the hramless kinds. I have arranged the collection to illustrate my lecture.
 HThe poisonous snakes are the rattle snake, of which there are twelve kinds. | easily recognized by their rattles; the copperhead, which is of chocolate nr copper color and is the handsomest | of snakes; the true water moccasin, and | 4he harlequin snake, which is found in l the South, and especially in Florida.
 'All the poisonous snakes may be readily recognized by their fangs, which are large and grooved or hollow | for the election of their poison. All but the harlequin have distinguishing deep pit on the upper jaw between the nostril and the eye. The harlequin is Inf brilliant black, with scarlet or yell low stripes on the body. It is inoffen- eive. and only a few instances of death 1 arc known to have occurred from it's | bite. I do not know of any case of death from the bite of water mocca- sin bad as it's reputation. Of course, l inc rattlesnake is known by its caudal and the copperhead by it's strlxingly beautiful color.
 "A number of snakes are reported to | ba noisonous but are, on the contrary, | nerfectly harmless, and indeed, are useful by destroying vast numbers Of | mice. It is folly to destroy harmless | snakes for this reason, as well as be- -1.@