Evening journal., 1900-03-23
THE BIG PYIH|)N'S TOILET
Cage of a Big Snake at the
Zoo In New York
HOW SHE SHEDS HER SKIN
Maternal Devotion to Eggs That
Wouldn't Hatch-Vieorous Meas.
ures to Make Her Change Her Cos
tume-Seven Month Fast.

Probably the most curious speci-
men among the inmates OF the new
Zoo in Bronx Park, says the New
York Sun. is the big East Indian py-
thon known as Fatima. Few visitors
as they stand before the cage where
the great reptile coils her twenty-five
feet of richly tinted body appreciate
the eccentric habits of this creature,
and the correspondingly remarkable
treatment she receives from her keep
ers.
Fatima arrived in New York last
September on a tramp steamer from
Singapore. For the three months OF
the voyage she lay tightly coiled In
a crate without food or drink The on.
ly attention given her was a sprink.
ling with warm water every week or
SO which she responded by kissing
like a small steam engine and making
an occasional vicious lunge at some
of the crew.
From the introduction Of the python
into her commodious glass-fronted
cage in the reptile house up to the
present time she has established a
record unique among snakes. She be-
gan by laying seventy-five eggs. which
were destined never to hatch because
their owner had been chilled by the
cold weather prior to settling down in
captivity. Nevertheless the proud pos
SCISSOR collected them into q pile, and,
coIling herself about them, waited pa
tiently for the little snakes to appear
Two weeks, the period of incubation.
went by and Fatima had not stirred
from her position. An attempt was
then made by her keepers to take the
eggs away from her, but she devel-
oped such energetic measures Of de-
fence to prevent this that the keepers
who think little of juggling with rat.
tlesnakes and cobras, retreated from
the cage with considerable alacrity.
In the meantime Fatima had been
preparing to shed her skin. Her cop
perry eyes mounted on a head as big
as that Of a jug OF respectable size,
had turned to a pearly white. Grad.
ually this tint faded away, leaving the
eyes dull and CLASSY This was a sign
that the skin was ready TO be cast. II
this operation did not take place with
in a certain time the reptile was LA
bic to contract a malady peculiar to
ophidians. which would probably
cause her death. Her devotion to her
eggs, however, obliterated all other
consideration and the critical time
drew nearer without action on her
part.
At this juncture Mr. Ditmars. who
has charge of the reptile house, decid-
ed upon vigorous measures. The eggs
must be taken away, he declared, and,
If the python failed to walk out of her
skin the same must be stripped from
her by the keepers Accordingly, a
stream OF cold water at high pressure
was turned on the reptile. AS she hur-
riedly uncOiled to cause trouble Keep
er Snyder crawled into the cage be-
hind the protection of a screen and
raked out the eggs with a long pole.
Several times the screen was sent fly
ine by blows from the snakes head
and Snyder had to be pulled out by
the legs. The eggs were finally re-
moved and a respite was allowed to
the reptile until the next day to ap-
pear in her new clothes.
The respite was vain. The next
morning showed the python coiled
sulkily in the corner where her eggs
had been. Her old skin had cracked
in many places and must be removed
at once. The snakes bathtub was
filled with boiling water and every orr
fee in the cage was stopped up. II
was soon full of steam and resembled
u Turkish bath. After an hour Of this
treatment of the python when the
temperature of the interior of the
cage was about 100 degrees and it
was dripping with moisture, Keepers
| Snyder and Dahl with Mr.. Ditmars
entered the cage. pushing a blanket in
| front of them supported on a pole as
u Uhnrr rrra1l of
the fact that If the snake caught them
in her coils an uncomfortable embrace
might follow, the same being detri-
mental to ribs and whatever portion
of their anatomy was involved. The
door was in the centre of the cage,
and they must advance ten feet to
reach the snake. AS they started to
crawl forward the snake blew a guam
tity of air from her capaciOus interior
with a noise not particularly encour-
aging. She then glided toward the
door, cutting off the retreat Of the in
vaders. Catching sight of Snyder's
| suspenders, which were OF a bright
carmine hue and evidently not being
partial to the color, she made a neat
pass of about six feet In his direction.
Not seeing any way of retreat, and
u fully appreciating what might happen,
Snyder promptly ascended the trunk
of a cedar tree in the cage and perch
ing himself about eight feet above Fa-
TINA, looked about to see what would
happen next
The next move was made by one Of
the men below. Reaching out a hand
cautiously from under the blanket he
caught hold of a rent in the old skin
and pulled off a long strip. Where the
epidermis was removed there shone a
patch of velvety body rejecting the
prismatic colors. The operation was
repeated. Il seemed to please the
snake. She at once became quiet and
allowed the process TO go on. Snyder
slid down from the tree and Joined
in the operation. In a short time the
blanket was laid aside and the work
hogan in earnest. II took more than
four hours to relieve Fatima of her
old clothes during the remainder Of
which time she showed the utmost
good nature toward her keepers al.
though making a vicious jab or two
at groups of spectators outside the
cage.
In her new suit the monster re.
Elected all colors of. the rainbow, but
yet there remained another anxiety;