The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-04
REPTILES
FROM CHINA
Live One in Saloon
Is Cause of
Trouble.
MAN SAID 1T
WAS IMPORTED
Collector Stackable Starts an In.
vestigation-EeIs and Snakes
Are Not Wanted.
A RE Chinese water snakes being i'm

a RE Chinese water snakes being i'm
! "A ported into Hawaii? The ques-
ton was asked of Customs Col
lector Stsckable yesterday, and the
machinery of his department was at
once put to work to answer it. The
presence of a live snake in a jar gen.
orally used for holding goldfish, at the
Mint saloon on Nuuanu street, was the
| cause of the investigation, and this
was pursued closely by members of
the customs department force.
The snake. or, as it is called by its
present owner, a Hawaiian Hila," is
about eighteen inches long, twice the
diameter of an ordinary lead pencil.
with the body tapering slightly toward
the head. where are to be seen two
bead-like eyes that glare at the OBJ
servers. and a mouth which snaps vi
ciously at those who thrust at him.
The snake is active and lives much of
the time below the surface of the wa
ter. occasionally protruding its head
above for air. The belly, which in
cludes half the circumference. is OF a
yellowish hue, the upper part being of
the color of dark gray cigar ashes.
The tail taperS to a fine point.
Mr.. Cunningham. the present owner,
says the snake was given to him last
week. He was not aware that Ii was
snake, but was told that it was
species of eel. and the name given him
was Hawaiian Hila.'' a big worm
said to be found here in mud flats. AS
far as could be ascertained an "Ha-
waiian Hila" is only five or six inches
in length. while the reptile in ques-
ton is three times that. and may not
be full grown.
The stranger was given to Mr.. Gun
ningham by Mr. Comes, OF Comes &
McTighe. Mr.. Comes was asked where
he got il and what he supposed il to be-
He answered that he had obtained il
from Chinese employe, and believed
il TO be species of eel. He said he
had the reptile in a bucket of water
i'm the store, and that it was strong
and active that it had jumped out to
the floor, over which 1t scurried to
the yard.
The Chinese who had given the snake
to Mr.. Comes was called and said he
could get more if they were wanted.
from a Chinese who had imported them
from home. When asked what spe-
cies the thing was. he said it was a
sort of French eel, and that they were
good for soup, when dead"
Collector Stackable was surprised to
they might be cells, were being i'm
ported from China. He wondered
more from the fact that all merchan-
disc from the Orient was subjected up
on arrival at Honolulu to n close and
penetrating fumigation with sulphur
and ii was q mystery to him how any
thing could go thr ough it and live.
the inspectors went in
to all merchandise from the Orient
with care, and they had never come
across a consignment OF live snakes
Or cells. The same precaution was TAX |
IN with the personal luggage OF incom- |
ing Chinese passengers from the Pa |
,ific liners. The Collector despatched |
men to take a look at the glass-en- |
closed reptile and to interview the |
Chinese employee.
1t is understood that pressure is be- !
ng brought at Washington to prohibit |
he Importation of any kind of reptiles |
II cells from foreign countries, or even
he Mainland, into Hawaii. This will
include also the Philippines and all the
Pacific islands. a request has also
been made from here that the War
Department notify transport com
nanders to prevent reptiles from being
arried in the vessels from which they
night escape while lying III port to-
ezra firma and become the progenitors
Il thousands of others.