The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-13
SMOKING
From the New York Times.

From the New York Times.
 "HE staging of a glass front snake in- closure as bit of tropical jungle Il to benefit an Indian cobra suffering
 with homesickness has proved such a success that Curator Raymond Ditmars of the Bronx zoo intends to make over the interior of the reptile house in Bronx park, There are to be more cages made to represent jungle scenes to accommo- date the tropical snakes and reptiles. Some will represent scenes in the desert, some will be made into bits of northland wood- land scenes, and others will be converted into stone caverns, and there will also be leafy nook beside flowing stream.
 Tt is wonderful what good effect the painted back drops, sides scenes, and other stage property have had on the cobra" said MT. Ditmars. The cobra was put in the jungle cage one day last week, and he picked up wonderfully that I have been fed to experiment to find out what kind of reptiles can be put in the same kind of cage. It was when I tried to form happy families that trouble csme.'
 The first experiment was to put some harmless Indian snakes in the inclosure with the cobras. It was all right until 1t came time to feed the harmless snakes. Then the cobras, which had become very active among the bamboo trees and the artificial leaves of their new surround ings started in to get the food intended for the smaller snakes. The cobra is not particular what he eats, and so there was scurrying to the treetops of the small snakes while the cobras finished thelr meal There were no fatalities, though one small snake disgorged just in time to prevent being swallowed by one of the large fellows. The bite of the cobra is fatal and so the keepers were not en- thusiastic over rescuing the small snakes food.
 Mir. Ditmars next experimented by talk ing out the cobras and putting some gopher snakes in with some tree lizards. Half an hour later the keepers arrived in time to stop an interesting lizard hunt. One snake was swallowing one of the
 small reptiles. but help came and the wriggling meal was rescued in time. A very quiet family of pythons was next i introduced into the jungle scene, and as companions they were given some tree | snakes. In the ordinary course of things | the pythons would have remained at the | bottom of the inclosure while the tree | snakes festooned themselves among the
 artificial leaves. The pythons. inspired
 by their vivid green surroundings, after posing for awhile, came to the conclusion
 that they would rather live in the tree 1 tops. So they chased all the tree snakes
 to the bottom and wound their great
 weight about the property tree tops and
 refused to share their upper story with | the tree snakes. As tree snakes are most
 at home in trees, MT. Ditmars separated
 them.
 l Mr. Ditmars will continue his experi-
 ments until he has selected the groups
 that can live in unity and peace.
 | Director Smith of the Central Park zoo | is asking the board of estimate for $250,-
 600 to replace the antquated animal houses in the park with sanitary build | ings of stone and concrete. The elephant
 house there was built in 1SSs, and if | is planned to replace it with one large :, enough to include the elephants, the rhi-
 noceros, the hippopotamus, and the tapirs Plans are made for at least five large
 animal houses, as well buffalo houses l deer houses and sheds. The lion house
 was built 40 years ago, and is now said te | be inadequate. This will be replaced, ant | all the cages except those occupied bS
 cat family specimens will be of iron and cement The cats must have wooder
 floors. new monkey house, where th' specimens can be exhibited to better ad vantage; home for small mammals