TREATMENT OF SNAKES IN CAPTIVITY. 65 



Looking at the cage as it stands, one might imagine the 

 glass sides to spring directly from the floor, since the lower edge 

 of the panes is exactly on a level with the gravel. In reality, 

 however, that stony carpet is an inch deep, so that the glass is 

 inserted into a low wall of metal of that height, surrounding the 

 floor. The latter is also made of perforated zinc, but the holes 

 are much larger than those above — big enough to admit a dried 

 pea. Underneath is a cistern for hot water, nine inches in 

 depth, and capable of holding thirty-six gallons ; but between 

 the metal top of this cistern and the perforated floor of the cage 

 is a space of about an inch and a half, in which lies a shallow 

 tray or drawer, filled with baked earth or sand (the coarser the 

 better) or charcoal, or all three mixed. This drains and purifies 

 the cage, prevents the accumulation of moisture which would 

 take place on a solid floor, and at the same time regulates 

 economically the transmission of heat from below, by virtue of 

 its mal-conductivity, even storing it to some extent for radiation 

 afterwards. Whatever is used — sawdust, earth, or sand — must 

 be quite dry, or it will exhale steam — and should be coarse or 

 crumbled rather than in fine powder. The tray — mine is divided 

 into two — is pulled out in front by a couple of little knobs, 

 like a drawer ; once a week is quite often enough to change its 

 contents. 



It has been suggested to me that it would be convenient to 

 have the cage and cistern made separately, and stand the one 

 upon the other. I hardly see the advantage myself. It would 

 involve another layer of material between the snakes and the hot 

 water, already separated by gravel, perforated zinc, earth, and 

 two sheets of imperforate metal. Its weight adds very little to 

 the upper part when it is empty ; and as the burden of support 

 comes entirely upon the perpendicular metal, there is not the 

 least danger of any part cracking or bulging. The improvements 

 claimed for such a construction, — that the cage is more easily 

 moved, and that the cistern can be sent away to be filled instead 

 of necessitating buckets and kettles to be brought into the room 

 when it is replenished in situ, — appear to me to be very doubtful 

 ones. In the first place, such a cage is not intended to be shifted 

 here and there continually, like a parrot's ; and to be obliged to 

 lift it off on to a table or the floor every time the water is 

 changed will be troublesome enough, to say nothing of the chance 



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