Snakes : Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life. By Catherine
C. Hopley. (Griffith and Farran.)—Miss Hopley gives us in her in- troduction an almost pathetic account of the difficulties which she encountered in inducing the publishers to favour her effort to write about snakes. They represented the prejudices of the public, which was unwilling, they were sure, to read anything about creatures so hideous and alarming. But the tide, it seems, is turning, and we may even expect to find the fancy, once so eccentric,
of keeping snakes for pets, becoming general. Miss Hopley's interesting book should certainly recommend the creatures with which it deals to the notice of the curious. She has studied the literature of the subject, and she has watched to good effect the fine collection of ophidians which the London Zoological Society possesses. The skilful illustration of scientific description by these personal experiences is a specially attractive feature of the book. What Miss Hopley has seen herself is naturally supplemented by what she has heard from the intelligent men who act as keepers to the serpents. Very curious things these men sometimes see ; as, for instance, the swallowing of a rat-snake, some eight or ten feet long, by a python. The rat-snake fastened on a kabbit which was meant for the python. The python also began to eat, and when he came to the rat-snake, swallowed him also. Fortunately, a keeper observed the transaction before it was completed. Only a foot was left, when the keeper seized the python and made it open its mouth, an assistant pulling meanwhile at the victim. The victim was re- moved without injury, and immediately showed its vitality by swal- lowing a rat. We hope that any lingering prejudices on the part of the public will disappear under the influence of this charming volame. People may, at all events, read about snakes, even if they cannot get as far as watching, much less keeping them. We must confess for our- selves that we have not yet reached Miss Hopley's height of philo- sophy, and could not contemplate the swallowing of singing finches by her favourites.
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