The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10
STARVATION OF SNAKES
A Process in Operation in the In
terest of Science.
Adders Undergoing severe Trent
ment by officials of the Smithson-
ion NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Not Quite
So had as They Are Painted-ts-
sistinE the Adders 10 Undress.

Few persons have a Partially for
snakes, but it does seem a cruel thing to
deliberately starye two unoffensive rep
tiles to death before putting them in a
jar OF alcohol for preservation as speci-
mems. This was and probably is being
done at a room in the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition by scientist who calmly conducted
his classification unheeding the frightful
suffering close beside him. The visitor
to the professors room was engaged in
watching an assistant drawing Cuban
boa constructor which he did from the
life or rather the death, the defunct rep
tile being hoisted out of its jar every now
and then by means OF a huge pair of
pincers and accura tely scaled with pair
OF compasses. All around. upon shelves.
tables. and floor. were jars, large and
small containing vast variety of snakes.
frogs. lizards etc. all rendered long since
harmless. A faint rustling sound. how
ever, became at length so distinctly audi
BILE that the fear of a specimen having, by
some means or other, broken loose. be-
came almost inevitable. The assistant,
being question, merely pointed to wood
en- box with screen top which had hith-
erto escaped the visitors notice, and
which, being more closely examined, was
found to contain two adders. They had
been caught not far from the District and
had occupied their present quarters ever
since last summer without food and water
The immense vitality of snakes which en-
sbles them to go without food for several
months is accountable for their holding
out so long, but it must also be remem-
bered that the sufferings of starvation
are increased in proportion with this same
amount of vital force in the victim.
One of the adders was shedding its skin.
the dry, fiaky colorless substance. as it
peeled of revealing a beautifully marked
under-surface. Somewhat to the aston
ishment OF the spectator the assistant
quietly opened the lid of the box and as
sisted the snake in its shedding process
by taking hold of the portion already of
and pulling il with as much uneoncern as
though 1t were glove on his hand. The
adder did not attempt 10 bite. nor did il
seem at all disposed to resist the atten-
tions Of the professor assistant. Left to
itself ii continued to unburden itself of
fits old clothing, as II were, and to reveal
the gorgeous raiment with which nature
had provided it. Poor reptilei II was
impossible not to liken the operation 10
condemned person about to be hanged
arraying themselves in their very best
toilet for the occasion. But then hang
fng indeed. any quick mode of demise, is
mercy itself to the misery endured by the
reptile slowly very slowly. starving to
death. II was absolutely pitiable to
watch the operation. The snake. in shed
ding its old skin is popularity supposed to
crawl through narrow opening or rub
itself against some rough surface as the
bark of a tree. That it can however.
dispense with any such assistance with
little or no inconvenience was sufficiently
demonstrated by the adder in question
accomplishing the end very efficiently by
muscular action alone. The movement of
the ribs, by which the snake progresses,
peels the old skin off gradually the entire
process lasting. in the case of snake
some three feet long, about three quarters
of an hour.
few pebbles in the box and tin water
can which was well-nigh eaten by lust
from disuse. were eagerly examined every
now and then, by the starving creature
IN search of food, while its companion, a
small grey adder, had evidently long since
given It up is a bad job and had coiled it
self up in corner, apparently lifeiess.
II may be remarked. generally, that
the serpent, ever since the Garden of Eden
NAL. So far from wishing to intrude in
human affairs it has ever sedulousiy
sought to avoid mankind. and it seldom
strikes. unless first attacked, except for
food. II is a fact that among the present
large number of snakes in the Geological
Park, only one, king snake. has been
taught TO dispense with live food Yet
Il is a well known fact. that snakes can
be educated to feed exclusively upon the
pf ha lppn
killed
The fact that they prefer and apparent
iy require live animals arises from the
habit acquired by them in a state of ma
tive, where they, of course, could pro-
cure no other kind of food. 1t is per-
fectly wanton cruelty. therefore, many
are inclined to think, TO put live animals
into the dens of snakes, where they Ie-
main perhaps. for weeks in torment in
describable. until t.ie reptile gets ready
TO devour them.