The Washington herald., 1911-05-28
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Page Three

fangs, for the rattlesnakes are vipers--that il,
those which have movable or hinged fang
teeth.
Just then, portion of its body rolled
across the mouth, and in an instant the jaws
closed upon it in blind rage. The fanss were
deeply inserted into the flesh, and left two
distinct holes when they were withdrawn,
there being no doubt that the poison was fully
and freely injected into the wounds. Yet
nothing came Of this but little puffy swell
ing which went away in q day or two, al
though the scars were visible for years after.
wards at each shedding Of the skin 4
iou VIII not see any sea snakes at the
geological gardens. because they are. never
brought alive to this country As rule, they
die almost directly they are taken out Of the
sea; nor will they live eyen Il placed at once
in tanks or in pits dug in the sand on their
own shore. So NJ
did. however, succeed in keeping consid-
cradle number for two months in a-large pool
among the rocks, which was covered e high
water. but left isolated when the tide went
down. 1t was closely netted all around, 20
that they could not escape, but the heavy
surf during = hurricane at length swept away
Here was able to see good deal Of them,
and learn something about their wsys, especial
ly their pccrliarities in feeding; and / am not
sometimes do what no others do, and that i
bite their food, in the same sense a. We do,
for the purpose of dividing It,
Snakes teeth are not used for chewing or
breaking up what they eat, but are simply
little forks for holding il. AT any rate. /
saw my sea serpents more than once worry
ing at large dead fish floating on the surface
and, when examined these afterward. I
found fragments of the soft skin and Hesh
gone. 80 am under. the impression that these
were bitten out and swallowed.
Like all other kinds, they knew at once If
the food was the least stale or tainted, and
refused TO touch it, however hungry they might
be. Their mouths are unusually small FOR
snakes; some species have curiously prolonged
snouts, which look almost like a parrot beak.
One finds them of various colors. Some Of
mine were very prettily striped with black,
red and yellow, and others had black inter
are not so brilliant as some Of the land snakes.
Although they had nearly q quarter Of an
acre OF water, in some places seven or eight
feet deep, they showed that unaccountable
animals in captivity, to leave their native
element and get on dry ground.
We never, hardly, find the common newt out
OF water in its wild state, not even on the
banks a;,d Of The dtches and snds where i lives
effort to escape from your tank or aquarium.
In the fernery where my toaAs live there b
a miniature pond into which 1 put newts
sometimes, but they always scramble out At
there they starye, though II kept forciby in
the water they feed well enough
Even eels are guilty of the same unresson.
able conduct. So il was with my sea serpents
Until l netted Of the shadows, they would
persist in wriggling out and baking to death
m the burning sun. Occasionally, however,
one 10 found coiled upon the beach at ebb
tide. patiently waiting until the food shah
allow him, to swim home 10 the depths again.
Don't forget that every snake found in the
Sea is not necovssriy sea snake; land snakes
are often carried down riych, especially after
heavy rains which have flooded the InufrOund-
ing districts, and are washed far out into the
ocean, They have been seen long way from
any shore, clinging TO the roots or branches
Of torn-up trees. or floating loose without any
support. Z --S7,s. :
caught a great green lizard, which feeds
on leaves and insects. and never Of it, own ac-
cord goes into water, more than hundred
miles from land. 1t was very exhausted, but
recovered ~, 81
Z, But when you hear anybody laughing at the
mention OF the great sea serpent, just put in
z word for the real se. serpents Of which we
have been talking, and very likely you will
find that the fact Of their existence will be
just as astonishing to him a. that Of the mon
ster itself