248 
CREATURES OF MYSTERY 
training during World War I had heard this interesting story 
but did not know what to do with it. On his return to the 
North he directed a written inquiry to one of the most cele¬ 
brated reptile experts in the U. S., asking whether or not such 
report was true. The reply he received was very brief: “No 
reputable scientist has ever witnessed such action.” Such state¬ 
ment is fair enough, and is strictly in line with what has been 
said throughout this volume, and that is that when it comes to 
acquiring complete knowledge of the practices of reptiles, in 
the wild state, the scientist simply does not have a chance. 
In this connection the reader is asked to consider the chryso- 
pelea ornata (or, to most laymen, the flying snake) of India 
and Malaya. He is usually very dark in color with yellow dots 
in the center of each scale, with a series of red-centered yellow 
flowers along the back. This reptile earned his name by reason 
of his ability to glide from tree to tree in the manner of the 
flying squirrel, or to descend from dizzy heights without in¬ 
jury. To accomplish such feat his body is held straight and 
rigid, his ribs pushed outward to their full length, and with the 
abdomen so drawn in as to form a concave surface. Assuming 
such a posture, his body serves as a parachute, so cushioning 
his landing that he could descend from inconceivable heights 
without experiencing the slightest discomfort. 
For my own part I can see nothing unreasonable nor un¬ 
believable about the story of the hoop-snake. The versatility 
of nature’s creatures is so universally acknowledged that, in 
our judgment, none but the most reckless expert would deny 
their ability to perform in this way or that. 
