The sun., 1910-01-10
SNAKES ON SHOW AT ADINNER'
ROCKY MOUNTAIN CLUB HAS
DITMARS no ENTERTAIN.

Ne Produces Venom01s water MOccasin
aud Extracts Its POlson--Derends the
Harmless Garter Snake and Puts
Lemurs and Mice Through Their PAGES
At the meeting OF the Rocky Mountain
Club on the fifteenth door OF the Waldorf
late on Saturday night there sat ON q
staSe in the darkened room a man In
white By his side an incense pot smoked
and from back OF him came the creepy
music Of the snake charmer. Suddenly the
performer scooped a handful Of writhinR
things out Of green Indian basket.
Presently they were eoothed and they
lay docie and were content to be put back
into their black bags. Then the lights
were snapped on again and the chArmer
nut of his robe and revealed himself as
Curator Ditmars of the Bronx Zoo. Mr..
Ditmars brought down about sixty small
rodents and snakes to show TO the club
and incidentally to persuade the members
that snakes are a pretty good sort il
they are treated right. You can handle
snakes without any danger IL you show
them that you are not afraid OF them. said
Mr.. Ditmars. Sometimes snakes are
peevish, so you must let them have their
own way as far as possible, he added.
Charlie Snyder OF the reptile house
came down to assist Mr.. Ditmars. The
latter would snatch a milk snake or a
chicken snake out Of a bag and hold il
up and explain to the popeyed Rocky
Montaineers what a nice thing such
reptile was to have around the house.
When he was through with 1t the inn
perturbable Snyder would take the viper
and wrap it around his hand and then stun
1t into the bag. The club certainly ad-
mired Charlie. Chicken snakes, too,
owe him a great deal IL seems that these
shells and all. They get about three
down and then have to lie around for a
week or 80 digesting them. This makes
IL rather stupid for the snakes. so Charlie
thought up a scheme for aiding digestion.
He took mallet and wound flannel around
IT, Then he caught a chicken snake that
was all bumpy with eggs and pounded
out the bumps That snake got through
digesting in about half the ordinary time
and was ready for more eggs.
Mr.. Ditmars did a stunt with a venom
GUS water moccasin that made the whole
front row move back little. Charlie
brought the moccasin in d bag, and as
soon as he unlooeed IL the snake lashed
out and squrmed across the table with
his tongue darting straight for tho audi
ence. The curator nooeed him cleverly |
Just behind the head, right at tho edge !
Of the table. Then he caught him with |
IL fingers where the nooee had been
and said he would show how such a rcp-
tile discharged his poison. Charlie came |
forward with a test tube covered with
gauZe and Mr.. Ditnlars thrust the snakes |
head at it. The jaws snapped back ard |
down on the gauze and ten little yellow
drops, enough to kill ten men. dripped to
the bottom Of the tube.
In addition to the snakes Mr. Ditmars
brought Capc rats and lemurs and lizards |
down in the subway with him. The ring
sat and wrapped his tail around his hoad |
and ran out his tongue at the audience. |
Tb'7 lemur is a sort of combination
affair. He runs like a rat, purrs like a |
cat and feeds like a squirrel. He was
joined on the stage by a slow lemur |
who looks like mothoaten teddy bear
with long legs. but isn't a bit good naturcd. |
He has great big eyes and fat teeth and |
runs around upside down ON vines and |
things sukcing the blood out OF other |
animals. The ring tailed lemur scemcd |
uncomfortable all tho while the vampire |
thing was on the table. ~ =
There were -gee-gee" runners too. |
that dance al night, and jerboas that
never drink water. They would have |
jumped OF the table had not trough |
Six little waltzing mice, who have
no sense OF direction but just get tagged !
out going around and around and think |
ing all the whilc that they have travelled |
great distances. performed beautifully
In the spot light. One Of them slipped of |
the platform and fell into the drink OF
a member who sat in the front row He |
arose. gave one horrifSed glance into
his glass, and hed into the night.