Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
HOUSE COMMITTEE
DEBATES REPTILE
ECONOMIC VALUE
Dr.. William Mann, Director of
National Zoo Park, Tells
Attractions.
COLLINS "CAN'T ENJOY
SNAKE" HE C0NFESSES
Asks Expert to Explain Good
Kind and Worth of Poison
Cures.

Members of the busy House Subcom-
mittee' on Appropriations FOUND Time
during the recent hearings on the 1882
District appropriation bill to engage In
a rather protracted discussion of the
economic value of reptiles and the ef-
fective antidotes for poisonous snake
DR.. William Mann, director Of the
National Geological Park, was on the
witness stand, outlining the educational
value of the Zoo specimens when mem
bers of the committee suddenly showed
keen interest in snakes.
Collins AbhOrs Snakes.
"You cannot get me to enjoy snake"
said Representative Collins.
"A snake is one of the most valuable
things a man can have on the farm, be-
cause 1t destroys all sorts of insects, de-
structive rodents and things of that
Sort" replied Representative Cannon
When the snake discussion started
DIR. Mann invited the committee to
spend a day at the Zoo and make
closer examination Of some Of the rep
tile specimens.
Debate on Snakes.
"No," Mr.. Collins declined. "I just
tell us what a good snake is"
And thus the debate on snakes fol-
lowed:
Mr.. Thatcher-They must be includ-
ed in some way in the scheme of ma
ture, although I do not think much of
them myself. But can see how. from
your standpoint, 1t is educational.
DR.. Mann-The toad fer example, is
valuable as a destroyer OF injurious in
sects and worms.
There is always an advantage In try
ing to educate people in reference to
snakes In South America you will find
a certain kind of snake that is kept in
the house, because the people appre-
ciate him for keeping the rodents away.
In Jamaica, where there were great
number of snakes, most OF them have
been killed OF by the mongoose, and
pests have since increased.
MOccasIn 'NO Good"
Mr.. Thatcher-What good is q moe
casin, for instance?
Dr. Manu- know no use for moe
casin.
Mr.. Thatcher-what about the rat
tlesnake?
DIR. Mann-It is the same with the
rattlesnake. suppose they should be
killed But the ordinary snake you
have around your fields and gardens is
spending all his time in killing rats and
mice.
Mr.. Thatcher-what about the garter
snake?
DR.. Mamie is perfectly harmless
He can not even bite you.
Mr.. Thatcher-It was formerly poi
sonous, was it not?
DR.. Mamie has two movable fangS,
way back in his jaw. But they are per-
fectly harmless.
Mr.. Thatcher-Are the ones further
south harmless?
Four Poisonous Kinds.
Dr. Mann-The poisonous snakes we
have in America are of four different
kinds. Thsre is the rattlesnake. The
water imoccaSion extends from the Dis
NAL Swamp all the way South. Then
we have the copperhead.
Mr.. Thatcher-He is very bad fell
low.
DIR. Mann-Yes. Then we have the
coral snake. That Is found in Florida,
Southern Arizona and Southern Cali
fornia. The copperhead, the moccasin
and the rattleSnake have fangs like l1y-
perdermic needles. They shoot the
poison In.
Calls Snake Deadly.
Mr.. Thatcher-Do you consider the
coral snake deadly poisonous?
Dr. Mann-It is the most poisonous
of all of our snakes.
= Mr.. Thatcher-Are our coral snakes
in the Southern United States the same
as those in the tropics?
DR.. Mann-Quite similar; but on the
other hand, you have what you might
call false coral snakes.
Mr.. Thatcher-Some coral snakes OF
the tropics are not considered poison
Gus, are they?
DR.. Mann-You have a harmless
snake that Is colored almost exactly like
the poisonous coral snake. But the true
coral snake Is poisonous. There have
been number Of deaths from coral
snake bites. Ordinarily, however, you
have to go out of your way to get Bit
ten by them.
Mr. THATCHER suppose the rattler
is the fairest fighter?
DR.. Mann-He will warn you. The
copperhead can warn you, too, by VI
brating his tail on leaves.
Mr. Thatcher-He Is apt to do that
after he strikes?
DIR. Mann-He will do that before
We have only four kinds of poisonous
snakes in America, but we have hun
dreds of non-poiSonous, useful snakes.
! There are certain types, like black
snakes, that may eat more birds than
rodents.
Say bIAC bldCAoAAohO
will destroy more birds than rodents?
DR.. Mann-Some black snakes and
other snakes viii feed sometimes on
birds.
Mr.. Cannon-They are a menace to
the bird population?
DR.. Mann-They are no serious men,
ace. / mention him as a comparatively
bad actor. Most of the snakes are 100
per cent beneficial.
Upsets Bird Myth.
Mr.. Cannon-Is there any truth to the
legend that a snake can attract bird?
DR.. Mann-No. Practically every
popular tale about snakes is not so.
Mr.. Thatcher-Are there anticotes for
bites of poisonous snakes in the United
States?
DIR. Mann-Yes; there are. They have
worked out very good serums now which
minimize the danger from snake bites.
Mr.. Simmons thought that had
been in existence for years.
Mr.. CollinS-That antidote you refer
to is sold in all drug stores, Is it not?
DR.. Mann-Not in all of them. There
are two antidotes we are talking about.
The other one Is perhaps more interest
ing than the serum, but the serum saves
more lives.
Mr.. Collins-I was speaking seriously.
-