Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/47

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a dwelling-house in this country should he visited with a plague of Snakes seems like a wild romance, and no doubt very many readers of the daily papers who perused the following paragraph (or a similar one) gave the reporter credit for a somewhat lively imagination:—

"—The residents of a house at Cefncaeau, near Llanelly, are suffering from a plague of Snakes. The reptiles are of all sizes and colours, and they crawl over the floors, infest the cupboards, curl themselves together on the furniture, and even luxuriate in the bedrooms. No fewer than twenty-two Snakes were slaughtered in one day."

The above is from the 'Morning Leader.' The Cardiff 'Western Mail' went into more detail still, and reported the occurrence thus: —

".—The residents of a house at Cefncaeau, near Llanelly, have undergone a very unpleasant experience of late. It was reported by the sanitary inspector of the borough council on Friday that the place had become the domicile for innumerable Snakes of all sizes and colours. They crawled over the floors, infested the cupboards, curled themselves together on the furniture, while some more aspiring members of the species climbed the stairs and luxuriated in the comforts of the bedrooms. The human occupants of the house had done their best to rid themselves of these unwelcome visitors, and had waged a war of extermination against them. The Snakes continued to come, however, although, as the inspector explained, no fewer than twenty-two were slaughtered in one day. The sanitary committee listened to the recital of these facts with horror written on their faces, but took no action in the matter, being uncertain, probably, whether their jurisdiction extended to Snakes, How-