SNAKE-CHARMING IN LONDON.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 90, 26 November 1872, Page 3

SNAKE-CHARMING IN LONDON.

(Fuanic Buckxa.ni>, in Land and Water.) Sxakks arc regarded with horror and repugnance by the generality of man and womankind, and for this reason their habits and instincts have not been sufficiently studied. Snakes may be broadly divided into poisonous and not poisonous. As a rule poisonous snakes will get out of man's way if not attacked or insulted. I do- not recommend people trying to tame poisonous snakes, nor do I advise them to charm them after the fashion of the Indian jugglers, though, as has been often shown, these poisonous snakes are generally "doctored" as regards their fangs before the exhibition takes place. There is now in London a gentleman who has a charming family of pet snakes —harmless, of course. This gentleman's name is Mann. He is a professor of music,, and lives in (Jheyne-walk, Chelsea. Mr. Mann called on mo a day or two ago at my office, and requested me to give him assistance, as he had got into a bother with his neighbours about keeping his snakes. Anxious to be of service to this gentleman, I called at his house in order to examine his snakery. lie placed in the middle of the room a largo box, which was.earefully locked, lie told me the box was always locked, unless he. or his wile took out the snakes to feed or examine them. The first he produced from the box was a very line common British snake (Coluber nalriv). His snakes hare all got names, and this one's name was Julia. Julia not long ago laid thirty-six eggs, which were hatched out successfully. The next was also a common British snake. The ring round the neck was very bright in this snake. She rejoices in the name of Sylvia. Sylvia is very good at frogs; lately she ate nine,frogs, seven large frogs and two small, ■ at,ono meal, one after the other. Mr Mann has also two other common snakes, whose, names are Poteus and Beatrice, or her of the golden hair. This modern snake-charmer then dived his hand into the box, and brought out an exceedingly lively brown-coloured snake. The head is remarkably pretty and lizard-like,and it has the power of moving the head very quickly from side to side ; the eye is also remarkably brilliant. This snake was brought from Jamraeh ; it is called a Lacertine, and comes from tho coast af Mogador, Northern Africa; it is perfectly harmless. Mr Mann has had the lacertine about twenty months. It is a pretty elegant creature.. It feeds on white mice. Mr Maim" then showed me the gem of his collection. It is a remarkably handsome Brazilian boa, measuring between iive and six feet long, and weighing from twelve to fourteen pounds. Continual handling and petting has caused the snake to become remarkably tame, and I think there can be no doubt that she knows individuals. When placed on the table " Cleo" would not come to mc at all but glided away to her master, who was sitting at the opposite side of the table, and stretching her length, from the tabic to the chair, gradually pulled her long length on to him. She then glided up his right side, and folding her coils round his neck, placed her head close to her master's face, and there she lay for some minutes quivering her black forked tongue with evident pleasure. Mr Mann's two little children, aged five and six respectively, then came into the room. They immediately ran to the snake,' and began playing with it, kissing it, and pulling it about, calling it " Cieo ; dear Cleo." " Cleo" was then made to glide on the floor; the children ran after her aud picked her up, and tho little girl picking her up put her round-her neck like a boa. (I wonder if this was the . origin of the word : boa.) " Cleo" evidently enjoyed the fun as much as the j children. It was very curious to see these two little children encircled in lc Cleo's" ponderous folds, reminding mc much of the celebrated statue of Loacoon, and if I recollect right, the marble children in the statue are represented as about tho same age and size of Mr Mann's two children. " Cleo" is a particular, favourite of. Mr Mann's, and I saw a very nice photograph of her, with l: Cleo" coiled round her neck. I subsequently saw Mrs Mann in this attidudc, with her pet snake. " Cleo" has shed her skin several times, and it is curious to remark that she has shed her skin ten times in two years. Mr Mann has the last skin shed. It is quite perfect, and as thin as tissue paper and I.should think would- make good pattern for fancy lace work.

" Cleo" feeds principally on pigeons. If a pigeon is put into her cage, and she is not hungry, she seems to make friends with the pigeon, and will never attempt to eat it. Should,' hararer, a. fresh. pig-jon be put into her cage, she will devour it instantly. She feeds once a fortnight, and two pigeons will last her for this time. Mr Mann has observed that when let loose "Cleo" always tries to climb upwards, whereas the lacertine always seeks the ground. " Cleo " most certainly knows hei* master and mistress. Once, when they went out of town, " Cleo" was sent Jaway. She pined, and would not feed during their absence. When Mr and Mrs Mann returned, after six weeks' absence, " Cleo," on hearing her mistress's voice, instantly rushed- out ofi her box, curled herself round her, and kissed her face. She evidently recognised her kind friends and protectors. Mr Mann has alsa.anofcb.er large Indian python, but this snake is not very well, and lias private apartments to itsolf in a leather carpet-bag. The snakes will i>ed out of Mr Mann's hand. The common snakes eat frogs, and frogs

only ; the lacertino cats white in ice ; the python delights hi guinea-pigs. Altogether I was exeedingly pleased with Mr Mann's collection of snakes. By his very successful gnaketaming ho has opened up quite n now chapter in natural history, and has shown what persevering kindness will do in taming snakes, poor creatures which hare hitherto been thought to have little or no intelligence.

The "Pall Mall Gazette" says:—"A most interesting ceremony appears to have taken place recently at Chicago. Divorces" have oi late become so numerous and fashionable in that city that the need for some kind of social festivity to celebrate their occurrence has for some time been extensively felt. It has been reserved for a lady dwelling in the ' west division' to make the iirst experiment towards supplying this need, and to celebrate her recent divorce from her husband by an appropriate entertainment. A large party ol friends assembled by invitation at her home, and the ' newly made widow rceeivJd the congratulations of her friends and relatives with as much pleasure as n newly wedded wife after the ceremony of marriage.' The whole affair, which was modelled as closely as its dillerent conditions permitted either with or without speeches appropriate to the occasion, on the old festivities of a marriage went off with the utmost eclat. There appears to have been a kind of divorce breakfast, , and one of the principal features of this banquet was, we learn, a handsome ' divorce cake,' mounted by an 'eletrant monogram, the letter D for divorced being entwined with the lady's name before her marriage. . The ceremony was concluded by the presentation of a number of ' highly suggestive presents. . There seems indeed to have been but one°thiug wanting to the completeness of the allair, and that is the presence of the ' ex-husband.' It is conceivable that the'new made widower' might have been prepared on his part ' to receive the congratulations of friends and relatives with as much pleasure as a newly wedded husband,' and the presence of the happy beaming faces of the divorced couple, seated side by side at the' festive board,' would have crowned the gaiety of the scene. Do Nor Ridicule CniLunisx.— Children often seem to say very absurd things, for which they are ridiculed or abashed. Xothiug, however, can be crueller than this ; for the child has merely done what many a philosopher has done before him —jumped to a wrong conclusion ; and if, instead of being ridiculed and made to distrust himself, and avoid venturing his little speculation before us in future, we had been at the trouble of carefully examining his notions, we should have discovered how naturally perhaps the idea had arisen, or how ingeniously, through, a hick of knowledge, the little mind had put together incongruous t lungs.

Tell Youit Witjs.—lf you are in trouble or a quandary, tell your wife—that is, if you have one—all about it at onee. Ten to one her invention will solve your difficulty sooner than all your logic. The wit of woman has been praised ; but her instincts are quicker and keener than her reason. Counsel with your wife, or your mother or your sister, and be assured light will Hash upon your darkness. Zixc Wash I'ok Rooms.—Mix oxide of zinc with common size and apply it with a brush, like lime whitewash to the ceiling of a room. After this, apply a wash in the same manner, of the chloride of zinc, which will combine with the oxide and form a smooth cement with a shining surface. IIAUUHXJXa Wood for Pullkys.—After a wooden pulley is turned and rubbed smooth, boil it for about eight minutes in olive oil, then allow it to dry, after which it will ultimately become almost as hard as copper. Oucc on a time a Dutchman and Frenchman were travelling in Pennsylvania, when their horse lost a shoe. They drove up to a and no one being in, they proceeded to the house to inquire. The Frenchman rapped, and called out, "Is de smitty within?—" Shtand back," says Hags ; "let mo slipeak. lsh der blacksmit's shop en der house ?" A crazy man naving got into the gallery of the House of Commons during a rambling debate, was taken out, the sergeant-at-anns telling him that he was " out of place in. that gallery." " That's so," said the lunatic, "I ought to be on the floor with the members." Josh Billings says : " There iz one thing about a hen that looks like wisdum—they dont kackle much until after they have laid their eggs. Some pholks arealwus a bragging and a cackling what they are tew do beforehand." There is no material or device more economical for .packing- stuffing boxes than Hemp is considered the best, as no danger from fire is felt, this material standing 500 degrees of heat, while ordinarily steam reaches only -13 degrees. Among the'best conductors of sound are iron and glass. Through them sound is transmitted at the rate of 17,500 feet, or over three miles per second. But in air sound travels only 13 miles per minute, or 1,1-1-2 feet per second. A youthful lover who sang and played before bis young lady's house for two mortal hours,was electrified after a short pause by a cordial " thank you," gracefully pronounced by tho " other fellow," who iqrpcarcd at the window. A quarrelsome couple were discussing the subject of epitaphs and tombstones, and the husband said, " My dear, what kind of stone do you suppose they will give me when I die ?" " Brimsone my love," was the affectionate reply. A good-natured traveller fell asleep in a train and was carried a few miles beyond his destination. "Pretty joke this, isn't it?" said he to a fellow-passenger. " Yes but a little to far fetched," was the rejoinder. A gentleman said to an old lady who had brought up a family of children near a river, "I should think that you would have lived hi constant fear that some of them would have got drowned." —"Oh, no," responded the old lady, " we only lost three or four in that way." Rowland Hill made a good remark upon hearing tho power of the letter H discussed, whether it were a letter or not. If it were not, be said, it would be a very serious affair for him, far it would make him ill the days of his life. In the onion there is found a peculiar oil containing sulphur, called the sulphuret of allyle. The odour of the breath after eatin-g onions is caused by the presence of a small quantity of this oil, which is exhaled in breathing. A Very Plain Cook.-—lntending mistress (to applicant) : "Of course,, yon can cook?"— Applicant: Oh, ycs'iii! Plain cookin', ye know—puttin' a jint on a dish ready to go to the baker's." One of the latest definitions of inconsistency was given by a Teutonic- 'orator at a recent political meeting, who said " It is vondcrful, slientlemcn, how elastic some men are in der brains." Josh Billings says " Give the devil his due reads well enough in a proverb ; but what will become of me and you if this arrangement is carried out? " What is tile difference between a Christian and a cannibal ? —The one enjoys himself, and tho other enjoys other people. An Impudent Thing.—Taking refuge from the rain in an umbrella shop. Becoming.—ln time a mulberry tree becomes a silk gown, and a silk gown becomes a woman. Quocu Elizabeth always displayed her worst temper in her clothes. She was dreadfully ruined then. An Irish editor says be can see no eavthly reason why women should not be allowed to become medical men. A Xoiscy Piece of Crockery.—The cup that, cheers.