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Show 8NAKU8 LONG. FAST. '""""'i lmlln (.,!,t. It..,,., rj,,ta Anjlhlnc rr 11 Mo,!!,.. All bona-fldc tatting record! have teen broken by U Tosea, the great Indian cobra at the Zoo Thlt make hat been under close scientific obterva- tlon for 22 raonthi past, jutinB al o which tlmo the reptile hat not Utted it moncl ot food lUeterlu otitis from i several medical enlli, , .. representing phamisciulletl concerns have been endenturlng to secure tpecl-ment tpecl-ment of the big snakes venom, whkh brings Instant and horrible death to all forma of animal life but La Tosea. In her voluntary fast of months, has never onte opened her mouth wide (uough to cnsldo these scientists to secure the vtnom by any ot the ordinary ordi-nary methods of tntke handling The venom-farg la n lung sharp conical tooth of the upper Jaw. by means of which tho poisonous fluid Is Injected Into the punctured wound This fang Is attached to the maillliry bone, anj may bo thrown forward or laid flat by a peculiar mechanism by which the bonis of Ihc upper Jaw rhange their relative position This tooth or fang Is folded upon Itself for the conveyance convey-ance of tho venom, and It also connected con-nected with the duct of the receptacle which contains the poisonous fluid Tho mechanism of the bones Is such tbit the opcnlnr of the snakes mouth widely cnutes the erection of the venom fang, and when the mouth It closed upon the object bitten the samn movement Injectt the venom, nnd death tntuet forthwith Some of the bacteriologists stem to think that tho venom might have sums curative properties prop-erties that would make It a valuable adjunct to the materia mcdlca, and for that reason they are making renewed re-newed efforts to get tome of tho poison. pois-on. La Tosea sleeps most ot the time, and pays no attention to anything any-thing that Is transpiring about her She was brought hero from llorneo about two year ago, and, after eating the three snakes that made the voyage with her, refused nil descriptions of food, and seems to get along very well without It. This variety ot reptiles never eaU anything but snakes Thoy have been known to kill bears and horses, and are feared by all the natives na-tives ot Dorneo, Java and the smaller Islands of tho Ilast Indies, where they are found. La Tosea Is the only specimen speci-men of her kind In America, und, unless un-less she can be Induced to eat, must, sooner or later, dlo Bho meaturea 14 feet n length Philadelphia Itecord |