Evening star., 1923-03-11
Where Did St. Patrick Find Those Snakes
That Legend Says He Drove From Ireland?

famous DR.. Guithers." who undertooI
to propagate frogs in ireland, and
upon another gentleman who lived
north of Dublin. who was charges
with having carried over boxes full
of poisonous vipers, (which he sent at
large to breed IN his gardens Other
stories are found Of gentlemen vito
had yipers shipped from England into
Wexford, about 1791, and another
who in the summer Of 1881 brough,
a few pairs OF the common gras.
snake from Scotland, and placed them
in a plantation at Milecross. neo,
Eewtownards. The Marquis OF Water
ford, noted for his freakish escarades,
attempted the same experiment on
his estate withous success.
Oidtiners recall that nearly TWEEN
ty-f1ve years ago cable message
spread the alarming news that Ire
Land had lost it's time-honored i'm
munity to snakes, and that people IN
the neighborhood of Amraugh and
Castleraine had suffered from loss 9;
poultry and pigs.
Finally the editor OF the Freeman
Journa, effected a denouement. il
seems that some 1--WE years earlier ga
animal Snowman, named Wilson. from
the United States had been making
tour Of Ireland. At the town Of Am
raush in Tfpperary. he became drunk
and had a quarrel with the constabu-
larry, during which he turned all his
animals loose. After about a week
of frenzy, the wild animals were cap
tured or killed but a den of snakes
was missing. The report runs that
through a militant union OF church
and state the progeny OF Wilson's
snakes was suppressed.
y
THE common British snake or
i ring snake (Tropidonotus Nat
rix), which Is the species that st.
Patrick drove out of Ireland, according
to naturalists. if he did drive out any
| snakes. is extremely common all over
Europe, except in the northern parts,
and belongs to a genus extremely
| rich in species which are spread over
Europe, Asia, India, Australia and
North America
| Snakes that are poisonous can
| quickly kill man or any animal. 4
| man who has been riddled by bullets
or Is suffering with serious illness
can be cured by q physician. but one
| sharp bite from a poisonous serpent
| may defeat the skill of a physician.
| The serpent does not sting. The
| poisonous snake bites, squirting poi
son through holes in his fangs into
the wound which these fangs cause
| Besides those snakes that kill by
| poison are others that kill by crush
| ing with their sinuous bodies
! The spinal column of snake is
other on the ball and socket plan, and
! there are 800 to 400 bones in the
back OF a big snake. The most won
| derful feat Of snake is tree climb
| Ing.
! Herpetologists have been vexed by
so-called popular" write-ups about
snakes which say that the backbone
| of snake is mechanical marvel,
| with each rertebra so articulated
that it moves freely in any direction.
They point out that while these bones
l
pleness. they can move only from side
to side. IF the backbone could twist
in all directions there would be no
safety for the spinal column Of the
| snake. The snake can twist from
left to right. and can raise the front
portion Of its body. not easily but
| surely, into an upright position. Aieo,
| 1t must have 4 rough surface over
which to glide.
| Though natural history students
belittle the legend OF ST. Patrick
driving out the snakes, the people
OF Ireland and the immigrants to this
country have the most implicit faith
in many miracles attributed 70 their
patron saint and believe as gospel
the legends concerning him. For
centuries the miracles Of St. Patrick
have been the theme of many writer's,
but in his own writings not the
slightest reference TO any miracles
of his own performance can be
found.
TT is recoru>- ...aL when Patrick
was contending with the magi-
clans Of King Loegaire Cor Leary> at
Tara, he raised Daire's horse to life
after It had perished because OF his
trespass on the ground given by Daire
to Patrick at Armagh for religious
purposes: that a dead man in his
grave spoke to Patrick; that an angel
appeared to Patrick As to Moses in
the burning bush: that when water
flooded his mothers floor. fire dropped
from his fingers and every drop OF
the water was dried up; that when
his mother wanted some frewood the
boy Patrick brought ice in his arms
and kindled 4 rousinx fire with it:
that his sister. Lspka, fell and
bruised her foreha>d, and Patrick
healed the wound in an instant; that
when Patrick was herding his fathers
sheep. a wolf came and stole one OF
the finest lambs; that his father re-
proved him and Patrick prayed all
night and in the morning the roguish
wolf brought the lamb back. laying it
unharmed at Patrick's feet: that
Patrick pressed through closed doors;
that when tho cruel Lord Of Dumbri-
ton ordered Patrick's aunt to clean
his fortress and stables, Patrick, then
q mere youth, by 4 miracle made
riddance of the trash for all time;
that he could convert flesh into fish:
that ravenous beasts became tame
and gentle at his approach; that once
when his horse was lost, Patrick
raised up his hand and his FIVE fingers
became as lamps, guiding him to his
horse.
The Holy Stone" OF Ireland is at
IArdmore, in County Waterford The
lIseend asserts that this stone noated