| Show national zoological park snake house decorated to represent natural haunts visitors to the reptile house in the national zoological park in washington 1 C are finding unexpected specimens in the glass fronted dens ordinarily inhabited by snakes and lizards according to science service artists have painted on the back bach and side walls realistic scenic background proper to the parts of the world from which the reptiles have come thus the dens inhabited by gila monsters and rattlesnakes from the southwest are decorated with backgrounds of giant cacti and yuccas while tropical snakes will henceforth live surrounded by painted banana leaves or the trunks of rubber plants artists have done some large mural paintings on the walls or of the bird house the central idea of tills this decoration Is a series of large pictorial maps each with several species of beautiful or unusual birds spotted in on oil its own proper habitat tho the national zoological park Is also making many desired changes and improvements an artificial alp is being constructed over a steel framework for the rocky mountain sheep and substantial houses of stone replace the old wooden shelters that hitherto housed hous sed many of the valuable hoofed animals A new idyll cage for condors Is alongside of the bird house and there Is a pool for the larger waling wading birds |
