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"
SATURDAY, MAY
23.
1925.
ST. PATRICK
PART O
SAO PAULO,
SHAKES ARE
OF VENOM.
WHERE
FOR TËRTI
ORYG SHAKE
HOUSES AND AMORT FOR BATHING
He Did Not Realise That Most of Them Are
Harmless Creatures Job Less Easy if He Had Tackled the Really Venomous Species, or the Huge Constricting Serpents of the Tropics.
www.
By RENE BACHEL
I must love been that Saint Patrick had special antipathy to sänker, else. while engaged in Christinating Irelsunt, he would not have taken mach muhle to drive then but of the green isle
Dislike of snake is largely a matter of prejudice, inasmuch aonly a fes Nearly all of species are relainen,
them are beneficial, preying on at and other rodent murmies of mankind, In this country we have the rattlesnake, the copperhead, and the ma-all hre very deadly at the just about -comprise the dangerous kinst.
Saint Patrick might have found a much more useful field for his unden- Vurs India, which fairly swarms with lethal serpents, the "spectacled" cobra and kazalt chief among them. The tiger snake and death adder are terrors in Australia; in Egypt the horned viper is justly dreaded; in the valleys of the Orinoco and Amazon the traveller must beware of the jarenr and surururu. while the fer-de-lanes kills many people amually on the island of Martiniqu
National-Zoo in Washington possesama a magnificent spreisen that weighs ar much as a bg man. 1 has to be fed un pigs, and only live pigs will invite its appetite.
The National Zoo specializes in F makes and its aplacian rulleetion offers up attraction, to multitariest peuplu where the sights of the cœpital esty. Observation at the tint, the largest Repent in the world, intrigues them mach. The age told that of rangan Lits skin ever Six weeks, and that as
preliminary to that process, it sozuz kel for se.40 Dags in a bathtub, which is a pet elab tank kr the batboot at the rage it occupies. When the skin has been shed, Soming off in fragments, the huge repli glosy in a new cont, in jaily bun
The quantity of fo cha get away During one revent with astonishing.
As metal cousussed six live a
down in the kenper'a memu- stalei randu book, it ate on the 9th day of the month an eleven-sound - pig. days later swallowed a fifteen-pound pig; three dig later, a silver-pound nie; four daye later, hixteen-pond pig: siren das fatory a sixteen-paund pig, and three days later, a thirteen- That was a good deal of
None of the great constricting yor penis-the boas, anacondas and pythons Fix venomous, though their hiler art severe. Their method of kaling with pig
prey is to envelop it with their cila ndent for twenty-daya--Bus-the
crush it to death, after which it i swallowed ut luisure:
Biggest All Snakes.
The regal pythan, native to south- enstern Asia and the East Indian Archi-
J
five or e'x months. There is
want another meal for
THE CHINA MAIL.
WAS PREJUDICED AGAINST
SNAKES
S.PATRICIVS HIBERNLE APOSTOLY
Claruit Anno Domini CCCCLVIII.”
vognise the great snake ya an piemy, and takes little or no notice of it
Boar And Anacordas.
But the python, if hungry, uplifts its head und ixes its unwink.ng eye- nakes have no eyelida--upon the on- suspstme prey. Presently it gives a sudden dart, grabs the rig with its ercel Jawe, wraps its coils about the victim, en rakhes it to death. Then, at Yesu smalkws the ply, which appente as a big bulge in its body.
The are to pythons native to the westsin hemisphere. In the tropics of Americe, however, there are plenty of A twenty-foot bous, and acandas.
anaconda can easily squeeze a man to deuth and swallow him afterwards." In -Brazil the natives capture these great naked by throwing nets over them when they are found gorged and fust acleep. Then they tie them with strong curds and ship them to the nearest sen! port. They always command a rendy market at good prices..
A enake is able to swallow an animal larger in girth than itself because the
Ore naturnily makes, how bones of its head are not consolidated,
behave when python's cage. terror?
pig
introduced into the Is overcome with One might suppose that The danger. But not co
pelago, attains a length of thirty feet. 1 ptinct would make it aware of its
Its favourite food is wild pigs.
It does not res
but united by elastic ligaments, so that the jaws are capable of great expansion. The bones of the head are very hard, and it is a mistake for a man cought in the coils of an anaconda or bas to ry to smash the reptile's skull. The
TO SHOW
thing to do la to strike at its tail, which in the sensitive part of its anatomy. If sharply hit in that quarter, it will relin quish its grip.. In truth, however, a man hustle chance in combat with a big constriclor, unless armed with a hunting knifo.
It
The National Zoo has a sixteen-foot andeanda that weighs 115 pounds. was a gift from the governor of Para, and was shipped from Brazil twenty- Ave years ago. Snakes are long-lived animais. The Zoo. feeds a bons and anacondas on piga, chickens, ducks and
rats.
At Bethesda (Md.) the Bureau of Animal Industry breeds rats for acientific purposes relating to the study of problems in heredity, and the over- plus goes to the Zoo for snake food.
Snakes Fond Of Water. The regal python, king of the cen- 'strictors, in its Asiatic habitat is com- monly captured in a baited trap that resembles a huge eel-pot. Its custom- ary method of securing its prey is to lie submerged in water in a place where. animals came to drink, and there, motionless, with only its nostrils above the surface, to await the arrival of a victim, The monstrous creature is as much at home in water as on land, and the traps are often set in flooded rice feldz.
Most ophidian species are fond of
A ARTZE- HEAQ DISSECTED
VEHON GLAND
water. The so-called water moccasin of bar southern status will sometimes float: in a col on, the ruddare of a pond or sipw stream. All the snakes at the National Zoo, have bathtubs or water. pans which are filled with fresh water daily, for drinking and bathing. They all go into sock as a preliminary to aloughing,their skins. In winter they are kept warm by coils of steam pipes beneath their cages, the temperature they require being not less than 75 degrees. In a state of nature, snakes In cold latitudes hibernate in holes, thub defying Jack Erost."
No Baer Suicide For Them. Some kinds of enakes lay eg others bring forth the young abye. "Pythone are in the former category. Not long ago, at the National Zoo, a feranle python died, and inside of her. body were found twenty-two fully developed eggs, such about the size and shape of a goose ergs and with leathery shell,
Smakas rarely breed in captivity. Eut on a recent seenalon, when there bad. Veen no expectation of such an event, the keeper, passing a cage in which there were a couple of large bous, was estoniched to see a large number of new-born babý boas scattered all over trs "font of the barred enclosure, with their heads up and tongues out.
ANE SINE:
Soa-captains often procure snakes in tropical countries they visit, and bring them to the United States for sale to, dealers in ophidian merchandise. But the dealers, who in many cakes trade in giant reptiles of all kinds from: Galapagos tortoises to Gila monsters, dopend or their regular supplies upon correspondents in the business, located at scaporte all over the world,
South Carolina's Spako Supply." The market supply of specios native to. our own country la obtained largoly from South Carolina. Naturalists way that in that state the northern and Bouthern ophidian. "life zones" meet and overlap na it were, the result boing, an extraordinary plentifulneas. of surpents of many kinds. For some unexplained reason, they attain unusual size-as for example the copperhead, which is at. lenst one-third bigger than its northern congener.
Rattlesnake fut is popularly believed to have efficacy un a curg for rheuma- tlem, and, partly to meet the demand for this commodity,, which, folchor high price, professional snake-hunters seek their prey on the "hammocks" of low, fut land in South-Cargling, umid marshes and wator-space-bunting grounds where any old stump or hallow log is likely to be the hiding place of a rattles. The instrument of capture used is simply a stick with a short length of twine carrying a, nonse. The hunter, standing ett ut a sufo vintance, silps the nuate over the snake's hend gives a Jork, and the reptilo, rendered helpless, is dropped into a bag.
The fact, already mentioned, that Bnukes have no eyelids, and therefore can never eloso their eyes, has given rize le a widely-accepted notion that they never sleep. Nevertheless, it is when they are asleep that they are most onsily, caught. A snake's meal is a gorge, after which it always go to sleep; and, being gorged, it cannot move quickly, if awakened by danger. Ireland's Only Serpent, Conceivably the snares might have
INCUBATING HER EGGS
"There were sixty-two of them, about driven Saint Patrick out of Ireland, if After the manner of their they had been pythons and anacondas. font long. species, they had come into the world But those huge. constrictors are exclu- ative, each one in a transparent mem-xively tropical. As it was, he failed to found in the green late-nymail one-not .b137ous suc from which it presently eliminate one specles that is still much over a foot long, with a band of emerged. Of course, having had no breakfast, they were hungry. They were fed on mice-live mite, of course bright yellow across its head. It is called the "ring snakes. Though rare in Ireland, it is common in continental and all bat a dozen of them were distributed among other zoos..
Europe. Being fond of water and with an appetite for little fishes, it frequents. duck ponde. In parts of Germany people will not eat duck eggs because of a curious belief that the duck mates with this kind of unako.
worth mentioning in this con- nection that rattlesnakes bring forth their young alive, while the ball snake of our western states and the pine anake --the letter common in New Jersey are egg-layers.
make alterations or give the finishing touch of reaming the holes so they will be completely filled by the rivet.
When the rivels have been firmly driven into place and the heads bradded, the plates and castings are trimmed and their edges smoothed by chippers, working with tools operated by band This work and by pneumatic power.
brings the hull to a stage of completion which calls for the Hervices of the caalkers-the men who will tell you that but for them no ship would be, water- *Light.
The Caulkers Takes A Hand. "Them voters do the beat they can," ship- one of the caulkers told me at yard, but the pour chaps have their stopping point. They can't keep a ship from leaking without our belp. We're the guys that do the job after they leave off."
The business of the caulkers is to see that every edge and every angle is waterproof, and that each rivet in free from the poxy billty of the slightest leak. He is the ship's guardian against the tiny pinha: that results in rust and corrosion, wit expensive consequences. To him is due 1uch of the credit for a finished produ
The Rigger Is Important.
In the same way you will learn from the rigger that his own work is the essence of shipbuilding. To him felle the responsibility for placing the rig ging of wire and hemp rope which con- stitutes such an important part of the superstructure. The rigger places the shrouds, stays, fta, the bracings for haste and fannels and the general over- head; network which baffles the visitor by reason of its seeming intricacy of design:
From the standpoint of the travelling artisans he becomes more and more im- The rivster will tell you that he is
Cautral feature of the vessel. The skill pressed with the safety of the modern the real ship-builder, and that his work public, the interior construction is the of the army of carpenters and joiners versel. From possible, skepticism be constitutes the soul of the vessel. He
will point out the vital importance os reflected in the inner woodwork. progresses to abiding-faith in the stal wart framework The process is perfect workmanship in his particular
stateroom fittings and the general finish can wafels the growth of the twentieth for careless operation. One rivet im- of the indoor structure. The work; is object lesson in safety at ses No man task, and show you that there is no room. These artisans carry out the details, of century ship without conviction that propenly applied has vast possibilities synonymous with fine craftsmanship. science and en nedering skill have for future trouble. Each plate must Travellers marvel at the precision of given na the hit word in the protection he securely fastened. Each as
the woodwork throughout the ship-the be made as, nearly, watertight as the skill with which every detall has bien of navigation
rugged metal will permit. No single executed by these workers of the ship- the work of The Fiveter,
folidura Yollowed by the belt must be less than perfectly, yerday The finished duct is a triburia
to precise and accurate workmanship. kman, falls completely filling the hole into which (t"
The Adllow the work of the forces ench plate is is driven, and leaving no room for thin
admisalon of water; or for thep concerned with equipment. Swhich would rengia in gradual Ingdeninty activity embracer meng branches
The individual river must industry, commerce and the arts.
mechan ESTES and strain of waves Installation of engine
equipment
atand
the riveter is confronted
squiring atien
“lectric
ing, team-fitting, furnishing, fertiggin
ecorating all in their turn require from same prodakɗn of 32 detall
And characterized the riveting and caul
hese various phase mightr ́ship for the BORN: constitutes an:
for diversified } elçil
Creating a Modern Vessel is Intricate and Complicated - Many Classes of. Skilled Artisans Are Required -A Model of Craft- manship.
By NORMAN G. McLOED
When the modern steel ship is being built there is call for almost every type of skilled workers, frum cupenters to plumbers, from deel erectors to electri cians, and from caulkers interior decorators.
There is no other class of construc- tina in which as many trades are given active employment. The building and finishing of un atean vessel is a task uf widespread ramifications. Nowhere eise is as much crowded into the space. In no type of construction is there a mach of industrial achieve ment...
The ship is a combination of hotel, warehouse. nchine shop. power plant, office building and agency of mavigation. Every inch of space must be used to the best advantage. No pert must be allowed to trespass on the rights and privileges of another. Each ceail must be cumplute within itself and must be arranged in harmony with the demands of all other details and those of the ship as a whole.
Intricate Problems.
The Intricacy of the undertaking i well exemplified in the precise system of adjustment required for the mansivo shaft which transmite power from the ungines to the steel-bladed propellers. In adjusting the shaft line the con- ditions demand that the work, be done when the sun is near the top of its day? journey-almost directly over bund, This domandarinses from the need for uniform expansion of the shaft matal undur the influence of the sun' heat. In the early morning or late afternoon the heat will be ono-sided, and the expansion will be uneven. When the sun is bighest the expansion is almost wiform. Without this pres chutionary measure the shaft would to.. dediseted, with result altogether un- satisfactory."
THE BUILDING OF A SHIP
on the precision with which he axentes the plans of the naval architect
The plans themselves have been The actual building of a ship starle with the work of the erectors, the men through an elaborate series of volt. who place the beams of the framing: How From the designas y 12 and who swing into place the heavy pad into the hands of the rain of the plates of the keel. In some of its lotte, who aarry on in a great room aspects this task is skip to that of the with a wide sweep at ciner floor inače glant skyscraper on land; in others fan this floor the pins are worked but i 10 Pofle own The erector has in defni Eseir pirti i represented
see that every detail of design is carried
out in the formation of the hull. He me frame builder, and much dep
for the markings Leg
and the thous
Early Stages Of Work One of the illustrations shows the earliest stages of construction, with koal in position and the bottom shell of abiftready for progressive activity,
•-conf" trestle ori Ti thi stim share le little suestion: of the tubime vessel. The polarork
the frames
might be that, off
believe that the slender beams; pored were the framing moth Hiwr deniznodité mes
the waves and, Lampeats
Individual details. Correct estima Immune scale which dwarfs the size of
Viewed: 21/ and standiness, wall cale the stored defeat the