66 THK ZOOLOGIST 



of breakage. In the second place, to carry away the reservoir 

 full of cold water would be no light job, and to bring it back 

 filled with boiling would be still less easy. I should, therefore, 

 certainly advise my readers who may contemplate setting up an 

 article of this sort to have it connected in the manner I have 

 described, with the cistern, tray, and cage in one and the same 

 construction. 



The cost of such a v varium, without the stand, is about 

 ^4 15s. The one I am speaking of rests upon a strong iron 

 frame ; and great attention must always be paid to the strength 

 and steadiness of the support, whatever its nature may be, as 

 the weight of water makes the burden very heavy, and the 

 disastrous consequences of any accident are too obvious to 

 require comment. The height of the stand will depend upon the 

 depth of the reservoir ; about three feet above the ground is a 

 desirable level for the visible floor of any cage, with a view to 

 comfortable observation of the inmates. The top of the stand 

 had better be solid, like a table, to afford level support to the 

 superincumbent water-apparatus ; a piece of thin wood will be 

 sufficient, but the bottom of the reservoir ought to be made of 

 extra thickness, or strenghtened with battens outside if resting 

 on a skeleton frame. And below this I keep a humble piece of 

 furniture, which I would strongly recommend as an adjunct to a 

 cage like this to all snake-keepers of normal proportions — a 

 broad, firm stool whereon to stand when doing anything to the 

 interior. Everything should be worked from the open top, and 

 thus elevated, the hand can reach any part with ease. Never 

 use the sliding end, except for the purpose of removing the 

 gravel, and cleaning the floor when the cage is empty ; and then 

 lift it out altogether and lay it aside. Sliding doors are an 

 abomination ; they catch the snakes' heads and tails, get blocked 

 with gravel and refuse to close (which, in this case, would 

 prevent the cover from shutting down also), stick half open at 

 critical moments, and inevitably come to smash sooner or later. 

 As for those finger-amputating, snake-dividing panes of glass 

 with naked edges, which are often used in this connection, the less 

 said or seen of them the better. 



The hot-water supply is, of course, the most important 

 question. The receptacle has an aperture of outlet, controlled 

 by a tap, at the lower angle of one side, and a short wide pipe, 



