The New York herald., 1863-10-02
natural history OF inain.
INTERESTING AND rxouIsd rloHr usrwrTS

lSTfNkSIlNU AND ENUlI'Nb FlHNf L.fWlhF AZ
ICHNErMpN AND A COBRA.
In letter TO the Madras (inda) TINES daicl irchlIo
po.y, July IS and signed by threa o'eri Of nc In'an
service Ne nni the following ,Dterestng acc1uht II "a
nght between m0ngocsa or chncnnon nd cJ0ra.--
We think the long vcXcl question whether .hH innn-
goose boirg bten by tho cobra retiry the uug,
and nnds some herb as an auii'to 10 The poison W
whether the venom of tho sen cnt nrl nc 10 rirnt
on The animal has becn az aat fettod. ou sar' day
morning last, whilo seated u tho mcsshonec
with several olcers o. tho regiment servant
mo and stated that snake had been fesn
ground cloge 10 wbero the guard was We nlin'1ltcy
sent for mongoone CA tame aud the property oi an
oAocD, and put hun 10 tho holc. io 500 beaan 10
scratch away the earth and IN hlr hour Hnc cobra,
about yard ng cafuo forward with head ofect ma
hood dtepdcd 10 attack tho mongCosc. who rceed 10
care nothlns lor iho repilc, put mercy Juhi'i "vt
the way 10 avoid tho blows which the snake struck NJ
him lhe mongoosc unfortunately nd Iusi been ted
consequently dld not snow sufficient incn aif 70 go Va
at him and k him. 80 we secured The suake ad carried
him TO the occr's quarters o hayo The oon
test carried out there after he mongoc should have
had little time rot h.s breakfast Nicr
couple II hours rest placed the cobra IN room with
closed doors I've hayiug IN tho meantime takon up te
station IN the which could opserve all
tho movements Of tho combatRnts) tho EoDgocse was
lel 10 and tie night commenced.
Tho mongooco approached cobra With cautl-n, but
devoid of any appearance ut fear The cobra wih he'd
erect and body vibrating watched his opponent with
evident sign or being aware OF how deadly enouy ho
had TO contend with. The mongonso wus soon within
easy striking distance OF the snske, ho suddenly throw
Dg back his head struck ut tho mongoose with tromen
dous force Tho mOnpo sc. quick aa thought, sprung
back out o reach tutoring the Tine gro~s
mongose nothing daunted by tho disiendcd awe md
galug eyes d his antagonist approached 50 near T. tho
snake that he forced not rchng such close poxim
ty, TO Draw his head back considerably This lcsfoncd
considerably his distance rom the ground tho mongoose
at once seeing tho advantageous opportunity spfang ut
the cobrns head and appeared 10 iuict well 10
ccivo wound. Again the conba,ans put themselves "a
position 10 renew thc encouDter again the hnske struck
at his Willy opponent and again the latter Ggy saved
him.
would bo tedious TO recount further detail the par
tculars about successive rounds end
which time neither conbatan seemed TO suffer moro than
the other we viii limit ourselves to describe tho Anal
and most interesting encounter
Tho deht had lasted three quarters Of m hour,
and both combaanis seemed 10 nerve thomselyos 10 a
final encounter The cobra changing his position Of do
fence for that OF attack seemed dete u
or die" slowly Oh his watch'ul enemy Tho cobra ai
vanced with equal courage tho mongoose awaited the
advance OF his stiil uDyanguishcd foe Tho cobra bad
nov approached coso that tho mougOoso (OwlnS to
want Of space behind unable TO spng out Of roach
by jumping backwards, he had dac IN the cvions
encounters) nimbiy bounded straight up In tho air.
The COBRA missed his Object, and struck TIC
ground urder him. Immediately on the ronrOofs
ahshting, tho cobra, quick az thought, struck
agaiG and to all appeliances hGed hs rings In the hoad
drawing his head aior having inncng the bite instantly
reeia,cd by nxing his teeth In the head Of the cbra
Tbs seemed to onypce tho cobra that he Was 10 match
fer bis fierce and wach'u Antagonist, AMI now ilgcr
exhibiting head erect and defiant cyc, unfodcd hts
coll aud ignomlnously slgnk away. Instantly the mon
gooe was on his rereatng foe and bgryng ba tooth IN
his BRAIN ended tho contest, The mongc sc now
ret 10 work to dsyour his victim and Ia fcw minuos
bad eaten the head and two or thrc, inches OF IA
body, including the dreaded by all We shoui
have mentioned before. that. previous "a thls
oLcouner ia, snake had struck fosi, which died
within half hour OF tho nficton II tho bite, howig
beyond DOUBT ilE cspabity ot nlctnA ac.dly wound.
Af,nr ibe tonros ind ratisAcd blg aretlte yo nroet
ed % examine, with pocket ions tho wounds which he
had received from tho cobra aud, 10 washing away tho
b. cd fromooe u these place. the lens dHeosed TIC bro
ken fang Of The cobra mbed dci 10 the head az tue mon
g00se To Discover whether there was any truth IN tc
.ortion tha, tho mougco1e owes ita impuny irm tho
bite OF tho most venonou O aorponiHi lie knowledge O
horb which nidote TO the posou. or whether, q o
other hand pophyactlo exists N tho blood oi ms et.
traordiuary animal rendering II nnocuous 20 tho bo ot
reptile fatal 70 All other animals Nc have had tho mon.
goose coubn "a sitce (nVw four days ngO) and IS
now healthy and lively ever but should " IN the
course Of gtngt show tho tlghtest indispOson,
~ tho cause Of fdtb, VIII not fail 70 inform Wo
oonsldcr therefore, that thcro longer exists dJubt
that Ia tho blood " the thoo prophy acto
and that tho idea that u derives rs .mplnty from
ah hoIb Is one OF many popular errors.