The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-09-21
A SNAKE SHOW FOR THE
ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION

John W. Thompson, the snake expert who has been making
of Hawaiian fishes for the Bishop Museum, also engaged in
preparing the National Museum the
st. Louis Exposition. The New York Sun says:
The National Museum will send the Worlds Fair St.
Louis fine exhibit of snake So like the real thing is each
plaster models owing ingenuity they
been nodded and painted that, enclosed glass
the might well be excused for hudder of alarm catching
sight of it.
These extraordinary works of art are productions William
Palmer of the Smithsonian Institution and John W. Thompson,
keeper of the reptile house the Geological Gardens Philadelphia
number of them being made by the former the axdemy
laboratory back of the Smithsonian Institution notably cobra da
capeo the which died ago the Bronx Park
This COBRA although taken death will be shown character
fighting attitude the hoodke distended and the body
erected that peculiar which has earned for the the
designation of the graceful of animals This the first
taken of cobra da capeo
The the casting done from dead snakes That
operation comparatively simple but where live poisonous
snakes employed it is different 1t sometimes found advisable
live snakes because the characteristic color and markings
very delicate and fade within few hours after death
Many of Mr. ThomEson taken from e because,
when order placed with him from the authorities,
saved trouble time and expense to use specimen in the Zoo as
model instead of procuring dead of the species The
operation of making live snake Is thus described by Mr.
Thompson
the snake My makes pknot with piece strong
ne attaches long pole and opening the places
snakes head The reptile, struggling and qurmng and wild
with fear and ange lifted and should he be the deadly
there exciting sport before he finally conquered
then hold saturated with chloroton to his non In
time he Is for the time being and to all nten and purposes
dead to the world and the cast is then made with all possible
petition
Quis placed in the reptiles nosr that he may breathe
the mixed plaster of paris poured all him. After the
plaster has had time harden the snake which has been creased in
facilitate its removal carefully pulled from the
and returned its usually the for the
ton.
''The inside of the flushed with soapy
grease of which fills the pores and sticking The
plaster poured and the nisturbed for twenty
four hours in order to insure perfect hardening
The step the chipping away of the SHE'LL which
with lest the delicate outline of the
ressioned plaster may be retrevaby ruined Particularly this
the head and eyes, which always left till the last When
shell Clipped reproduction of the snake down
to the details has been secured and all that be done
is the painting in the original eoos'
the painting which the really crucial feature of the
and the which determines the failure the
It is tedious work and in most instances fully month spent
on each specimen Where possible live snake is placed in glass
ox beside who studies the coo he works Each scale
receives separate and the head is usually labor of several