The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-11
THE SERPENT And TIE WOMAN
Love AFFATRS AN EXPERT CALLS
TNExPLIC.ABLE
Observed st the Zoo BY Curator .Ditmars
the Girl WIN the Red Roses and tina
CeDras -Fascination OF . Python
deadly Fer de Lance Chllfl,s Pet.

Ohserto Cd &C the Zoo D. Curator uftufars
me Girl WIN the Red Roses and tina
CoDrss -Fascination OF - Python
deadly Fer dc Lsnce Chilh's Pet.
The race Of Elsie venners is not dead.
Raymond L. bitmars. curator of the snake
house at the New York Geological Park,
finds many women on whom snakes exert &
fascination similar to that which they ex-
ercised over Oliver Wendell Holiness
heroine.
Men as a rule look ON snakes with a cold
and critical stare as objects OF losthing or
mere curiosity, he says. But women-some
women-are moved by them, fondie them.
commune with them In a mystic way and
seem to derive delight from watching their
writing bodies. ass
Il seldom lecture on snakes" said. Mr..
DitLpars to q reporter, that the women
don't crowd round ne at the close n in
sist on handling my live exhibits. My big
king snake In particular never fails to ex-
cite interest.
mo, it isn't any particular feminine
type that suocumbs to the spell OF the snake.
except that, curiously enough, it is usually
ONE Of the we'll braced, athletic type
who seem to fall moet completely under
their charm. You'd think it would be the
other way--thAt high strung, emotional
women, given to i~ntrospection and a'trife
morbid, would be the most sensitive. .
But the. latter generally run away, while
the calm, steady nerved girls will prod and
paw the snakes by the hour to see II they
feel cold, will gaze sentimentally into their
expnessionless faces and will drape the
snakes around their arms and necks with
out so much as q shudder.
AT the New York Geological Park we
have had many illustrations of this weird
affinity which exists between snakes and
women. shall not soon forget the day
when a pretty, we'll dressed young woman
presented herself in my. onloe and asked
to be allowed, to 60 behind the cages and
look in from the back. It was a Sunday
and the place vas crowded.
well, we don't ordinarily allow the
public behind the scenes l told her.,
B I am 90 deeply interested in snakes
she pleaded, especially the cobras. Do let
me look al the cobras from the back
The girl was carrying a big bunch of red
roses at the time. I didn't like to do il,
but she wasso persistent that I at last told
the head keeper 10 take her around and let
ucT RtbP III db tlC. dOOt " a ihOlAChss
The moment the door was opened the
girl flung her roses into the m DIST of the
cobras, which were plac.dly enjoying them
selves in a little family group on the gravel
in the bottom OF the Gag Instantly the
cage was in an uproar. 90
The cobras, terrified out of their senses,
rose up eth a tremendous hiss, undulating
from SIDE to SIDE with the rocking motion
Characteristic Of them when excited and
Initiating their hoods as they always do
when engered. There is something very
impressive in that graceful, vibratory
mot on Of the angry cobra as it rears its
body high in the air; but it is q challenge
that no man who has met his cobra face
TO face il likely to forget or to court will
ingly. .
knowing that the cobras would never
quiet down % long as the roses remained
in the cage,,I told the keepers they must.
get them out and they finally did 50 with
iron bars stuck in from. the rear. >r
In the height Of the disturbance the
Young person who was the cause of 10 all
disappeared. She came pack again a week
or two later. When she saw me she wished
me an airy Good morning and passed
out.
al never found out who she was or what
she acted 80 for. and I can only conclude
that she was a twentieth century Else
Venner.
There was a girl who used to come day
after day to study the big python. 1t
actually seemed az il che fell in love with IL.
One day she exclaimed:
II anything happens to that snake I
want,his skin to make myself a short jacket.
How wide would his skin be spread out?'
From 1. to ~ inches replied.
And how long,
@tOh. almost long enough for a three.
quarter coat, or at least a walking coat
l told her. but I wouldn't advise you to
wear it on Fifth venue
Well returned the girl earnestly, If
anything happens to the big python in the
next five years you must let me nave his
skin
= We don't intend to let anything happen
to him. but you can get another fine snake
skin without waiting for that
II don't care for another skin. 1t is
this snake I love and his skin I mean to
wear
course. As our python is still alive and
apparently in good health and spirits she
is not likely TO have her wish grati6ed for
many TOOL 10 ever.
The snake that this young woman fell
in love with is 20 feet long. weighs alb out
$50 pounds and could kill a horse. Its
eyes are its most conspicuous feature.
They are tawpy yellow, catlike and
intensely brilliant. You can see them fix
on IN Oh iect and act like glass.
Snakes are said to hypnotic their in
tended victims with their eyes. 1t seems
possible that this python can exert hypnotic