70 DO SNAKES FASCINATE THEIR VICTIMS ? 



heady — still keeping number one encoiled, — made a dash 

 at another dnck, but failed to secure it, and in writhing 

 about allowed number two to escape, who waddled about 

 and preened his feathers, apparently very little the worse 

 for his imprisonment, and fraternized with his other two 

 companions. 



It very quickly became so dusk that we could see no 

 more proceedings, so the keeper (Sage) and I left the serpent 

 and his victims. When the keeper visited the house the 

 next morning at eight o'clock, the four ducks, feathers and 

 all, had entirely disappeared. 



My note-book contains the following sentence : " The 

 fascination of snakes over their victims may, I think, be 

 relegated to the remotest regions of romance." 



On Friday; October 19th, 1888, Sage, the keeper of the 

 Bird and Reptile House, thought the large Python would 

 feed; as he had nearly completed the casting of his 

 skin, and had not fed since the end of August. To some 

 persons this interval of time may seem long for a living 

 creature to go without food. I may assure them that for 

 Pythons it is not an unusual time. A large Python we had 

 in the " Zoo " some j^ears ago lived for eighteen months 

 without food, but then it died. 



However, to return to our living Python ; he seemed 

 lively, raised up his head, and kept opening his mouth, 

 gaping widely. These are all considered signs of being " on 

 the feed," so, in the presence of the Honorary Secretary of 

 the Gardens, Colonel Jones, Colonel Graham, Mr. Char- 

 bonnier, myself, and the head keeper and Sage, a fowl and 

 a duck were given to him. He stretched out his head and 

 regarded them with his stony eyes, opened his great mouth 

 again and again, and evidently seemed to be anticipating a 

 choice repast. 



