The Falls City tribune., 1911-06-02
PYTHON IS F|N|CAL
viii Not Look at Anything but
White Rabbits.
Black Bunnles Placed In Big Reptiles
Cage Are Unharmed-Zoo Store
room Full Of Many Choice
Things to Eat.

Chicago.-The lion house at the
Lincoln park zoe has been In a tur-
MOL the past few days because of the
refusal of the python to break its fast.
The python's refusal was not due to
the fact that 1t was not hungry. 1t
was, but, being an epicure of the first
order. 1t had to have It's food as 1t
wanted 1t or not at all.
Cy de Vry, head animal keeper,
tempted the snake with rabbits, and
when 1t refused to employ these as a
means to stay its munger he tried
guinea pigs. They also were refused,
and 1t was thought the python would
starve itself. The problem was solved
In an unexpected manner when one
of De Vry's assistants told the head
keeper he was going to try again to
tempt the snake and was given per-
mission to do so.
All of the rabbits used In the for
mer meals served to the particular
reptile were black and, although the
man who had the snake had no In.
tention of discriminating, as far as
color was concerned, he CHANGED to
put a white rabbit In the cage. The
moment the python saw the newcom-
er It darted toward 1t and gulped 1t
down. A black rabbit was next, but 1t
was spurned as all of It's color had
been before. The problem was solved.
1t was white or nom for the snake
and Its wishes were |gratiaed.
Before the first meal for the com.
ing season was finished the snake had
done away with four pretty white
Dummies, and for the time boing every
thing Is quiet about her cage. De Vry
says 1t is the first time in all his ex.
perlence that he has known a snake
to discriminate in regard to the color
OF its food.
A story going the rounds of the zoo
makes De Vry the butt of sarcastic
comment by the park employees. 1t
tells OF a complaint made against him
by a woman who recently visited the
ZOO and wrote a letter to the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ami.
mails, saying there we're live animals
In the snakes body and that she want
ed them to investigate it.
1t Is one of the peculiarities of mem.
bers of the reptile family that they
contract the muscles of their bodies
when they are digesting food and as
tho snake mentioned had been fed
only a short time previously the move
ment of its body was caused by a
brave effort IN its part to digest a
large meal of guinea pigs. The So
ciety sent Agent Nolan to investigate
the case, and when he asked De Vry
II there was any truth In the state
ment made by the woman, De Vry
told him he was privileged to enter
the cage occupied by the snake and
see. The agent did not enter the age.
The other residents of the O are
fed with the best of food. and if the
citizen who finds 1t difficult to supply
his table with enough meat and vege-
tables should see the s~toreroom of the
zoo he would open his Eyes in amaze
ment.
In the icebox there is always a sup
ply of the finest beef and fish. The
beef is used In feeding the lions, tigers
and other large beasts. The fish Is
fed to the sea lions and water fowl.
All of the meat is bought from "a large
Chicago market house and a fresh sup
ply Is brought in every morning.
In the storeroom a full line of the
choicest vegetables is kept. including
celery, lettuce. cabbage and potatoes.
All of the smaller animals are fed
from the supplies in this room, and
the monkeys and lions are given a dog
biscuit occasionally.