SNAKES, SCORPIONS, SPIDERS

Taihape Daily Times, 10 December 1918, Page 3

SNAKES, SCORPIONS, SPIDERS

Trooper Ivon. Thompson, writing from Palestine to his father, who resides at Wollongong, New South Wales, says: "This is a terrible place for snakes, scorpions, and big spider?. The spiders arc supposed to live on the scorpions, and the latest fad is to have scorpion and spider fights. The transport fellows had a champion scorpion, and put out a challenge to fight any scorpion or spider in the brigade. The Field Ambulance produced a big spider, and took up the challenge for £2. The spider won after a great 'battle. The snakes are very | poisonous, and there have been over 20 oases of snake-bite since wo came here, i all being fatal; but, of course, they were not all amongst the Australians. The doctors of the A.M.C. offered a reward for couple of live specimens of the snakes, and also wanted any dead ones wo could get. In a fetv days the A.M.C. camp was flooded vvitli snakes of all sizes, some dead, others halfdead, and others very much alive. If | anyone mentions snakes /near 'the j Field Ambulance now he is likely to 1 get shot.”