The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-11-27

bT7HE big King Cobra at New York's
Bronx Park Zoo was not looking like
= his old self. He was bad tempered.
He had no appetite for the big black
snakes that were pushed into his cage for
his dinner He ate them listlessly. like
man reading a newspaper at breakfast,
with no regard for their struggles or their
appetizing fiavor.s Furthermore. he seemed
to shrink all along his thirteen feet OF
green and yellow scales, and 1t was feared
he would die.
His capture, care and transportation had
cost good deal of money. Prof. r. L.
Ditmars, Curator Of Reptiles at the Zoo
and the greatest living authority on snakes,
hated to think 1t might all go to waste by
the big snakes death.
Prof Ditmars studied his sick specimen
through the heavy glass walls Of his cage
until he discovered that all of the cobra's
troubles were caused by patch Of dead
skin growing over his eyes.
Those Irritating scales which were al
ready setting up serious Inflammation
must be removed. To perform the opera
ton Professor Ditmars must enter that
cage WITH inc sudke anu ny So"C OIL eSoy
accomplish his purpose.
The curator's plan was to first feed the
cobra black snake his favorite food. and
when his mouth was full to slip into his
cage and perform the operation before he
could disgorge his dinner and attack. In
this way his fangs would be imbedded In
his dinner and unavailable for defense.
Before attempting the operation Prof.
Ditmars starved the cobra until he beat
his coils-as thick as mans leg-against
the walls of his cage in continual and
savage dinner bell. When Prof. Ditmars
approached the cage the great snake con-
vulsed his green and yellow scales and
waved his head threateningly.
The head Of the king cobra has cervical
ribs on both Sides which he can raise and
lower at will, just as a horse or dog man
ipulates Its ears when excited. When
these fan-shaped growths are raised the
snakes head is more than ten inches wide
larger than a baby lions. And II this
wasn't enough to scare Prof. Ditmars, the
effect was added'to by tremendous yawn
revealing the mucous lining of the gullet
and the fangs, as large as q dogs teeth.
When the professor thought his snake
was hungry enough to give undivided at
tention to his food and let him work he
introduced large and extremely reluctant
black snake into the cage. The cobra
reared, weaved about and struck the light
ming at his unfortunate cousin. Then he
sat down to dinner, Selling the black snake
by the head and slowly swallowing his
writhing. Kissing prey alive.
Here was Prof. Ditmarss chance.
Before entering the cage he had ar
ranged Just outside Of It all the necessary
instruments and antidotes that would bt
needed should the cobra strike. together
with two shotguns on full cock should hi
escape and put up fight. There were sew
eral safety razor blades to slice open the
possible wound, and tubes of cobra serum
and potassium permanganate with which
to flood the incision and neutralize the
poison before It could be assimilated witt
the blood; gum bandages for tourniquet
gauze, shears, tape and other necessities
all of which must be used with the utmost
speed. Even with these precautions things
did not look SO bright for the curator, al
many victims of cobra bite have beel
known to die despite all surgical aid, 81
deadly is the poison in the monsters hug
gland. These deaths have been attributed
to error in judging the quantity OF poison
released by the snake-a delicate calcula