The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-06-06
BIG SNAKE GIVEN
4 CHICKEN DINNER
First Meal for Six Weeks for
the Boa at the Carnival
Last Evening.

Fastidiousness characterizes the
habits Of the boa constructor and the
python snakes with the snake show OF
the Cosmopolitan carnival at the Gil
bert field this week under the auspices
OF the typographical union. Not only
are the snakes very clean and fnicky
about their quarters. but their food
though seldom they cat anything
must be the best and plentiful.
About once every six weeks the two
snakes get hungry. The time for the
feeding OF the twenty-six foot boa
constructor was due on Monday ev.
ening. the opening night of the car.
nival here. Though there were only
. few In the tent at the time the
twenty-six-foot reptile was fed. these
few found the event the feature at
traction OF the evening.
A few days ago the never failing
sign that the snake was hungry ap-
peared: the large reptile went blind
/, and began to shed it's skin. With
these prcliminaries completed, the
sight and skin restored. six fat hens.
one At a time. were thrown in the
enclosure Monday evening and the
snake began the slaughter. II Is gen.
orally believed that the boa constric.
tor hypnotizes it's victims before strik.
ing. but II he did SO on this occasion.
Il was quickly done. The executions
were 20 prompt there was scarcely a
sQuawk.
Sight . Rare One.
After the killing the snake com.
,ynenced to gorge. swallowing the hen
head Arst. II was a rare sight to see
the reptile with It's pliable Jaws swal.
law the large bodies, particularly in
1.-THE case Of the sixth fowl, while one
Of its wings refused to go down. A.
ter much twisting the snake finally
managed to get the wing in position
20 that he could complete the last
course Of his heavy meal
The manager of the show said that
while the snake would have been
pleased with a meal twice as large, II
was not wise to feed him so much as
boas become drowsy and listless when
overfed Boa contractors can go
year without food. but those on exhibi.
ton lead an easy life and never fail to
get their dinner once every six weeks.
In the snake pit are several rabbits.
The boa never eats them: the python
will. but he prefers chickens. The
Dummies do not worry about the pres.
ence Of the snakes. They play around
them. running across their bodies and
even their heads, without being dis.
turbed and in apparent safety.
The aea show IL another interesting
exhibition. The little pests--not
pests to the manager-are we'll train
ed. and do different amusing stunts.
such a. pulling coaches. wearing min.
iature hobble skirts. jumping through
rings and a variety of other stunts
equally wonderful. The animal show
includes exhibitions by monkeys.
dogs and ponies. The pony's mathe.
NAUTICAL mind enables him to add. sub.
tract and do other very good stunts
Last evening he was asked to count
the number sitting on the front row.
doing % neutrality-suspicious. the
result ten. The other shows in the
carnival are much better than the or.
binary. The free attractions also
please. This carnival 10 the only real
high class one appearing in the city
since II showed here last year.