PYTHON EGGS AT ZOO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19238, 31 July 1924, Page 13

PYTHON EGGS AT ZOO.

FINE COLLECTION BEING HATCHED IN LONDON. There is a shrouded cage in (;ho Reptilo House at the London Zoo. Thick curtains shield “Devi,” Iho 16th Indian pythoness, from a curious and disturbing public, for she is laying and hatching a line collection of eggs, says “L. G. M.” in the Daily Mail. Recently a report was published that sho was siill’ering from lung trouble. Nothing of tho kind. Sho was shaking with sobs because sho had been deserted by her actor-husband, who has gone back to his professional duties, leaving her to roar an unascertained number of four-inch eggs. These started to arrive on Saturday night, and are still being added to. The absent husband—a beautiful performing python with a curious pink face—was deposited in the Zoo by a circus, together with a companion which ho deserted for “Dovi.” Tho companion also had a pink face (“probably made up,” says "Devi”). However, the pair have now left, and “ Devi ” has to face the future alone. “ Devi ” has coiled herself completely round her eggs, turning her body into a kind of beehive. It would be interesting to take her temperature, for, normally, a python, like all other cold-blooded reptiles, is no warmer than the surrounding air. When hatching has to bo done, tho python pets feverish for the sake of tho eggs, and her temperatur > goes up into the 70’s and GO’s, while she is incubating. There will ho no experiments. There will be no experiments which may disturb her, for it is only once in a generation that the Zoo gets a chance of hatching python eggs.