Snake Lady

Last year Representative Ruth Bryan Owen of Florida was only mildly vexed when her congressional colleagues twitted her about her uncommon interest in insects. At that time she was identified with three measures for controlling Mediterranean fruit flies, Japanese beetles and mosquitoes in her home State. Last week Representative Owen's attention turned to snakes.

Appearing before the House Public Lands Committee, she sponsored her bill to create Everglades National Park at the southwest tip of Florida. Called as a witness was a man who has spent much time in the 2,000-sq.-mi. area, famed Gynecologist-Naturalist Howard Atwood Kelly of Baltimore. Dr. Kelly told the committee about the grandeur of the vast mangrove swamp with its rare white ibis and roseate spoonbills. He impressed upon his listeners that the district harbored the only tropical bird rookery in the U. S. Then, lest the committee grow bored, he released a slithering grey & yellow king snake five feet long.

One female secretary almost fainted. Congressmen withdrew gingerly. "Very beautiful," commented Mrs. Owen, She picked up the reptile--a household pet of Dr. Kelly--and let it slide around her neck and shoulders. When the snake was put on the committee table it rustled among papers, allowed Mrs. Owen to pet it. Dr. Kelly explained that king snakes, indigenous to the proposed park, are harmless, destroy rattlesnakes--also indigenous to the area. Confessed Mrs. Owen: she had never handled a snake before.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.