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A PLAGUE OF SNAKES. 

 By Gerald Leighton, M.B. 



That a dwelling-house in this country should he visited with 

 a plague of Snakes seems like a wild romance, and no doubt very 

 many readers of the daily papers who perused the following para- 

 graph (or a similar one) gave the reporter credit for a somewhat 

 lively imagination : — 



" A Plague op Snakes. — The residents of a house at 

 Cefncaeau, near Llanelly, are suffering from a plague of Snakes. 

 The reptiles are of all sizes and colours, and they crawl over the 

 floors, infest the cupboards, curl themselves together on the 

 furniture, and even luxuriate in the bedrooms. No fewer than 

 twenty-two Snakes were slaughtered in one day." 



The above is from the * Morning Leader.' The Cardiff 

 ' Western Mail ' went into more detail still, and reported the 

 occurrence thus : — 



"A Plague of Snakes at Llanelly: House completely 

 INFESTED. — The residents of a house at Cefncaeau, near Llanelly, 

 have undergone a very unpleasant experience of late. It was 

 reported by the sanitary inspector of the borough council on 

 Friday that the place had become the domicile for innumerable 

 Snakes of all sizes and colours. They crawled over the floors, 

 infested the cupboards, curled themselves together on the furni- 

 ture, while some more aspiring members of the species climbed 

 the stairs and luxuriated in the comforts of the bedrooms. The 

 human occupants of the house had done their best to rid them- 

 selves of these unwelcome visitors, and had waged a war of 

 extermination against them. The Snakes continued to come, 

 however, although, as the inspector explained, no fewer than 

 twenty-two were slaughtered in one day. The sanitary com- 

 mittee listened to the recital of these facts with horror written 

 on their faces, but took no action in the matter, being uncertain, 

 probably, whether their jurisdiction extended to Snakes, How- 



