Year: 1875

.a4s HAIRS turning TO SnakeSa


THERE are few boys or girls residing
in the country who have not heard mar
velous stories of horse or COW hairs turn
ing to snakes when thrown into water.
Very likely these wonderful tales of the
metamorphosis of hairs into squirming
reptiles were told them by some fond
mother and indorsed by all the neigh
bors; and who but born skeptic could
disbelieve such unquestionable authori- 81
ties upon all subjects which naturally
attract the attention of inquisitive chill
dren? Fortunately for mankind, a few
do escape from what may be termed a
lifelong subjugation to the tyranny of
errors;" and, though it. may cost~them
many pang and heartache to see. the
idols of their youth dashed to pieces,
one by one, by the remorseless hand of
the scientific investigator, still the final
results are very much like the extrac-
ton of molar by a sklllful dentist.
The pain may be acute during the brief
operation, but there is always peculiar
sense of relief which somewhat compen-
safes for ones sufferings. But the ma
jority of mankind do not pass through
any such ordeal. but remain steadfast
and true to the faith of their childhood,
else the hair snakes and similar marvel
Gus productions would have long since
died out, instead of being alive and as
lively as they were centuries ago. .a9


This common belief in the transforma-
ton of hairs to snakes has been forcibly


brought to my mind OF late by several
paragraphs on the subject which have


appeared in Western paper, the editor
of which has been sharply criticised by
some of his readers for doubling the ex-
istence of such productions. Of course
the only facts brought forward on the
part of those who hold that hair may
become living reptile are their belief
in what somebody else, equally as igno-
rant, had told them Without claiming
to speak as an authority on this subject,
perhaps I may throw out a few hints that
will aid those who are in search of the
truth in regard to the nature and hab-
its of what are termed hair snakes"
1t is probably unnecessary to add to
what have already said that hairs do
not turn to snakes, no matter how much
they may wriggle about when thrown
into water. There are, however, several
species of small black, or very dark, par
asitc worms, found in water and wet
places, which, to the unassisted eye, look
very much like snakes; and these are the
wriggling creatures supposed by many
persons to be transformed horse hairs.
Very few of our scientific natllralists
have made the study Of the GordSus or
hair worm specially; hence, their true
life history may not be fully known;
but this much has been discovered, to-
wit: They live through the greater
part of their lives in the intestines
of insects, such as spiders. crickets,
grasshoppers and various species OF
beetles which live on the ground or
under stones in low, wet places. The
next question which would naturally fol
low is: How do those worms get into the
insects? Let us suppose that one OF
these worms is living in the water or
under stone where it is damp or wet
and there deposits her eggs, which are SO
minute that it requires a glass OF high
magnifying power to detect them al
though they are fastened together in a
long string of many thousands in each.
From these eggs minute tadpoles, like
worms, are hatched, and these lie in
wait for some luckless cricket, beetle or
other insect of proper size to supply a
comfortable home for the worm in which
it may thrive and grow to full size.
When such comes within reach the little
tadpole makes the most of the oppor-
tunity and penetrates the body, where
it thrives on the contents of it's habita-
ton. When the worm is fully grown 1T
again escapes to the water the first
chance; and anyone who has sufficient
interest in this subject to catch few of
the large black crickets in the fall and
throw them into water will be pretty
sure to find an occasional specimen con-
tanning one or more of these hair worms.
The worms will leave the cricket almost
Instantly upon touching the water, show
ing that they are waiting for just such
opportunities to escape to their ap-
parently natural element The worms
may be kept in a fair condition
for examination and study in alcohol, al.
though they will become quite brittle II


The spirits are of high proof. have oo-
tanned specimens of the G0Tdsats from
various species of the cricket family, out


the most interesting specimens IN my
| collection are from species OF large lex
an beetles known as Gdssne0checS, III COL
Iecting the beetles they were thrown into
alcohol. and the worm thinking (if worms
| do think it was water started to leave its
home, but only succeeded in withdrawing
about four inches of its entire length
(whatever it may be) before the spirits
killed it. In another specimen OF the
same species of beetle there appears 10
have been two of these hair worms, both
having made an unsuccessful attempt to


leave at the same time, but King Alcohol


stopped their progress beyond certain
point just as he does some other Great


ures of higher order


Hair worms, or horse-hair snakes, are
not transformed horse or cow hairs, no
matter how many persons there may be


to testify that they have with their
own eyes" witnessed the transformation.


A pair of ordinary eyes, backed by


good quality of brains, don't amount TO


much in these days of superior compound


microscopes, either monocular or Dlnocu-
| lar-Rur0l NeU Yorker.


| ENGLAND is on a grand wild goose
chase for more of Shakespeare's books.