182 A COLLECTOR'S EXPERIENCES 



the park. She had now been fasting five months, 

 and showed marked signs of emaciation. Moreover, 

 her eves had grown pearlj, Hke little babbles filled 

 with smoke ; her bright colors had faded, and the 

 tinie to shed her skin had passed ; yet the devotion to 

 the eggs which wonld never hatch. 



It had to be done at last. The big cages in the 

 reptile house were ready ; with several keepers, the 

 writer covered Fatima with blankets, grasped her by 

 the neck, and carried her to her new quarters. The 

 monster was weak and thin ; five men did the job, 

 and it took little effort among them. Seventy-nine 

 eggs were counted in the huge cluster w^hich the 

 snake had been endeavoring to incubate ; these were 

 of about the diameter of a hen's egg, but longer. 

 But now another serious difiiculty presented itself. 

 Having neglected to shed the skin, it had dried and 

 hardened, and speedy death threatened the proud 

 Fatima. Her cage was filled with steam and left so 

 for an hour or more, and after this Turkish bath the 

 keepers entered ; then began the job of " peeling " 

 the big reptile. It took hours to complete this task ; 

 but when it was completed Fatima appeared in gor- 

 geous apparel, her colors blending with the irides- 

 cence of the great constrictors. It now remained for 

 her to take her food, and she was saved. 



Poultry was offered repeatedly. The choicest 

 feathered stock was introduced ; but the glitter of 

 the yellow eyes followed the motions of the keepers, 

 who warily kept from within reach of the long, re- 

 curved teeth. Since her capture, six months before. 



