Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 127, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1915 — BILL BAT SAYS IT IS NO HOOP SNAKE [ARTICLE]

BILL BAT SAYS IT IS NO HOOP SNAKE

Stakes Reputation as Nturalist That Hordemann Find is a Glass or Joint Snake. Editors of The Republican, Dear Sirs: I see a statement in your paper regarding the capturing of la hoopsnake by one Peter Bordenian, of Union township, Jasper county, Ind. The circumstantial evidence in the case shows that the specimen was discovered, pursued, captured and slain in the wilds of Walker township in the said county and state. Now I have not seen Pete’s goods that I might be able to make a scientific zoological, analytical examination of it but am willing to stake my reputation as a naturalist that it is a case of mistaken identity. Hoopsnakes, milksick and hydrophobia are rapidly being relegated to the oblivion of the past. From the brief description given me by a party who was so fortunate as to get a glimpse of the monster before he was immersed in alcohol, I suspect it to belong to the saurian family, and commonly known as glass or joint snake, which is in fact no snake at all but belongs with the lizard group. They have a glassy appearance, pointed nose, break into pieces easily, have eye-lids and can wink, while snakes can not, can neither climb nor swim, are not venemous by horn or fang, detached sections will never be reunited but new ones will grow on just as new leg® and pinchers do on a crippled fish. With due respect to the opinions of Mr. Hordeman (which I think may have been influenced by the suggestions of others) I submit these remarks for publication.—Bill Bat.