80 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



clouded leopards with their beautifully marbled coats; 

 the vividljr marked leopard of the jungle often gen- 

 tle enough to come rubbing against the iron bars, yet 

 in an adjoining cage may be a black panther, its lips 

 rolled back into a satanic snarl ; last to be examined are 

 those boxes containing the giant snakes of the Malay 

 Peninsula ^ — and throughout one's investigations there 

 is always the possibility of coming upon a modest crate, 

 which, when opened, discloses some rare creature the 

 investigator has never seen before, but has been men- 

 tally carrying his ideal of its actions and appearance in 

 anticipation of finally making its acquaintance. In a 

 search like this the writer neared the crate from which 

 the chorus of hisses was arising, coming with such per- 

 fect rhythm as to catch the ear over the sounds from the 

 entire yowling menagerie. The captain had thrown 

 back a cover, disclosing a pjrthon colored like an Oriental 

 rug, but the writer was all curious to see what the long 

 crate contained. It was explained to him that the crate 

 enclosed three young crocodiles — then the box was 

 opened. The amount of ferocity crowded into those 

 four-foot youngsters was amazing. They all but stood 

 on their hind legs in an endeavor to bite. Not for a 

 moment, while under observation, did the fiendish little 

 brutes relax their vigilance. In uncontrollable rage, 

 one of them kept backing up and walking forward, and 

 if a hand were moved over it, reared upward, snapping 

 its jaws loudly. 



The three crocodiles finally became the writer's prop- 

 erty. They were positively the most vicious reptiles he 

 has ever seen. For a time they would not feed. Strips 

 of raw beef or fish thrown into the tank were instantly 

 seized, when the animal threw its body into a rapid, 



'^Python ret'tculatus. 



