CAPTURE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN WATER SNAKE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 346, 23 February 1856, Page 6

CAPTURE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN WATER SNAKE.

Wo may very soon look lor the capture oi'the I Su-a^vv,)..-;i_i, seeing llial a sort of instalment of the '; lake-.'1 tiit; dwellers on the Silver Lake, near Ph lT j- Vil!,..je, N«-w Yoil;, <iid on the 12ili' August hainoun ami hatii to lan.l the Great Am-ru;., W-m-rS-iak*! Tiieve can he no | iio.ii.i-.lt !»iu:yvf-rsiitijr iaut,ailthf circumstances i be-n- (let^il^Jwiili ih-iL pry'.:i-,ion. (hat ck-liuacv ! of loiscii, timt <■> (iistinfr.usJ^s e^e.y Anic-ricali j recur-: o| wmniw an«i triunipiis. U'Shjii N Ti,i^:tra suhs:.le«i 10 a d-a-.l h'.'cl. what other qaill, save a q ;il] (n.ui .:.e AKi-ricvii lmsjlu, u-mlii so truly iii.ye j.ai.neii I:,e Cita-tropiie. A kiu.irci j,^,, —a jijii h-.-jj, ii-sime ;»in:->:i —:races the hi?,i iii.>n!,-ir^ ;.f i^h (Jivat AmcriiMn Watc-r-Snake. : 'Jlie Snake, in :in ci il \,:,: ir \\ )Y himself, a|);, Oiu -.' ef! to tin- ■.v!,;,] (im fii urovided wiih ; , !, ; irpoon. He «-,is laying -'quiescent on the surface ■.wneii — ' "Tae iron whistle.i in the air, ami went deep iuto his body [" J j

Under these circumstances, prolonged quiescence was not to lie expected ; assuredly not. Therefore — " Instantly the whole length of snake lashed the air." That is. the snake hinl like raised its whole budv in vacancy; but »uly for a while, for he darted off, almost diagging the boat under w.iter. However, in due season, he was hauled to land, when, a* was very natural on their part — " Pour or fiVe ladies fainted on seeinir the snake, who, although ashore, lashed his body into tremendous folds, ami then straightened himself out in agony, with a noise that made the earth tremble." Banuim himseif had shaken in his shoes at such a snake-shake. And now follows a most intt'ivsting description of the victim :— "He is i>9 ft. S in. lonir, and has a most disgusting look. A slime a quarter of an inch thick covers his l>odv, and if remove.l is instantly replaced by exudation. The body is variable in size. The head is the size of a full grown calf." In facr, exactly the size of the heads of the believers in the Feejee mermaid and in Washington's neuress nurse. " Within Bu. of the head, the neck gradually swells to the thickness of a foot in diameter. It then tapets down, and again gradually swells to a diameter of two feet in the centre, u'ivintr above six feet girth. It then tapers nflf towards the tail and ends in a fin, which can expand in fan shape three feet across, or close in a sheath. Double rows uf tins are alternately placed alonir the belly." The ' fan-shaped fin' must have some affinity to the mermaid; whilst, the 'sheath' would imply at least, a distant relation to the swordfish \— " The head is most singular. The eyes are large, staring, and terrific, with a transparent membrane attached In the lids, protecting the eye without impeding the vision. No <iills appear. The mouth is like that of the fi-ii called a sucker. It can stretch to as to swallow a body a foot and a hai fin diameter." In fact, about the saint- capacity of swallow as that*required of the docile a:id elastic reader. " When he rears his head (which he neutrally keeps under water) he presents a fearful aspect. In exnaiidiii<f his uioiith, iio exhiidis a b'nod red cavity, horrible Id look at, and the air rushes forth with a short heavy puff.' There is ibis advantage in ihe iast faculty of the Gre.it W.-uer Snake for dealing in '■ heavy, short puff*," he will be able to write his own advertisements fr.un the Museum in the Broadway. The " slime, that a quarter of an inch thick covers his body," will supply him with ink: the supply, moreover, is inexhaustible ; for I "if removed is instantly replaced by exudation.'' We have solicited the scientific opinion of the fust naturalist of the day—need we name him—>as to the classification to which this Water Snake is a due ; and have received the following brief summary—'• It is my opinion, from the description supplied me of the Water Snake, that is only a huge specimen of a monstrous sea-naif, resulting from a cock-aud-a-bull and a niu;litinaie." There can be little doubt of the proprietorship of the parents: th* ; cock-mid-a-bull ami the nightmare being iudiiiiitahiv the property of Mr. B.triiuni ; and thu written account thereof f.me of his heavy, but not very short, puffs.— Punch.