1902 The Vivarium in Winter. 37 



bag. And when the compulsory meal is to be administered 

 it is only necessary to allow that portion of the reptile's 

 body out of the bag which is required for the purpose. 



The keeper of snakes should always have at his disposal 

 several bags, of various sizes, strongly made of swan's- 

 down, and he will find them useful, not only for artifici- 

 ally feeding some of his captives, but also for confining 

 them safely and warmly when their dens are being cleaned 

 or rearranged. 



If preferred, instead of "stuffing" it, a thin snake can' 

 be induced to drink milk. This is generally easily done, 

 as most snakes, when unwilling to feed, are from time to 

 time quite ready to drink. Milk-and-water, half and half, 

 is put in place of the clean soft water which should al- 

 ways be present in the den. Every day the milk and water 

 are renewed, and the vessel which contains them scalded. 

 The milk, thus taken, may be sufficient to prevent the snake 

 from getting too thin during the time it refuses to feed. 

 Sometimes snakes will go without food for a whole year, 

 and yet apparently be little the worse for their long fast. 



Young snakes should always be tempted to eat as much 

 as possible during their first winter ; but their second 

 winter, if they are well - nourished and quite healthy, 

 ought to be passed in a state of torpor. 



Most of the lizards, and many of the small snakes, may 

 be allowed to hide themselves out of sight in some of the 

 places of retirement which are generally provided for them 

 in their cases ; but the temperature of these cases should 

 always be kept several degrees above freezing-point. It 

 will be found that on fine and mild days during winter 

 the lizards, and perhaps the snakes, will come forward to 

 bask in the ra5^s of the sun, and occasionally to feed. 



The frogs, toads, and other Batrachians may also be 

 allowed to stow themselves away in their own cases : some 

 will bury themselves in the earth, and others will hide 

 under bark, cork, or moss ; and thus most of them, if not 

 all, will pass the winter in safety. 



Such lizards as the chameleon should always be kept in 

 a heated cage in winter -time, and be tempted to feed as 

 much as possible on cockroaches and meal-worms. 



