Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1867-01-11
THE EVENING STAR.


Fight between IN lchneumon and Cobra
A letter in the Madras Times. dated Trichi-
nOpoly, signed by three officers OF the Indian
service, has the following account of fight
between mongoosei or ichneumon, and co
bra:
We think the long vexed question, whether
the mengoose. on being bitten by the cobra,
retIres into the UNCLE and finds some antidote
Tor the poison, or whether the venom of the
serpent produces ne effect upon the animal,
has been AZ last settled On Sunday last,
while seated in the mess-house with several
officers of the regiment, a servant came and
stated that a snake had been seen to enter q
hole in the ground close to where the guard
was. We immediately sent for a mongoose "a
tame one, and the property OF an Off er) and
pot him 20 the hole.
He soon began 10 scratch away at the earth,
and in half an hour a fine cobra, about half a
yard long. came forward, with head erect and
hood distended, TO attack the mongoose, who
seemed to care nothing for the reptile. but
merely jumped ont of the way TO avoid the
blows which the snake struck at him. The
mongoOse, unfortunately, had Just ted, conse-
quenily did not show much inclination TO go
IN AZ him; so we secured the snake and carried
him over 10 one Of the officers 10 have the con-
test carried on here after the mongoose should
have had some little time TO get o yer his break
fast. After couple OF hours rest, we placed
the cobra in room, with closed door, we hay-
ing IN the meantime taken up secure station
in the room, from which we could obssrv We all
the movements OF the cOmbatants, the mon
goose was let in. and the night commenced.
The mongOOse approached the cobra with
caution, but devoid of any appearance of fear.
The cobra, with head erect and body vibrating.
watched his opponent with evident signs of
being aware OF how deadly an enemy he had to
deal with. The mongoose was within easy
striking distance OF the snake, who, suddenly
throwing back his head struck at the mon goose
with tremendous force. The mongoose quick
as thought sprung back out of reach, uttering
al the same time savage growls. Again the
hooded reptile rose on the defensive and the
mongoose, nothing daunted by the distended
Jaws and glazing eyes of his antagonist. ap-
preached so near 10 the snake that he was
forced. not Telishing such close proximity,
TO draw his head hack considerably. This
lessened considerably his distance from the
ground. The mongoose, at once seeing the
advantageous opportunity, sprang at the
cobra 6 head, and appeared to Infict, as well
as to receive wound. Again the combatauts
put themselves in position 10 renew the en-
counter, again the snake struck at his willy OPP
ponent, and again the latters agility say ed I'M
II would be tedious TO recount in further de-
tall the particulars OF about a dozen success
sIve rounds, at the end of which time neither
cOmoatant seemed TO suffer more than the
other will limit ourselves TO describing
The final and most interesting encounter The
hight had lasted some three quarters of an
honr, and both Combatants seemed TO nerve
themselves for final encounter. The cobra,
changing his position of defence for that of at
tack. seemed now determined 10 do or die
Slowly on his watchful enemy the cobra ad.
yanced: with equal courage the mongoose
awaited the advance of his still unyanquishsd
Zoe Inc COBRA had now approached so close
that the mongoose, owing TO want of space b.
hInd- was unable TO spring ont OF reach by
jumping backward, as he had done in the pre-
yIcus encounters, nimbly bounded straight ur
m the AIR. The cobra missed his object and
struck the ground under him.
Immediately on the mongoose alighting, tn
cobra. quick as thought, struck again and 20
all appearance fixed his fangs in the head of
the mons goose. The mongoose, as the cobra
was Withdrawing his head after having IN
hicted the bite, instantly retaliated by fixing
ans teeth In the head of the COBRA This seemed
10 con- vince The cobra that De was no match
Tor MS herce and watC hful antagonist, and
now no longer exhibiting a head erect and de-
fiant eye, unfolded his coil and ANONYMOUSLY
skunk away. Instantly the mongoose was OF
me reiTeating foe. and burying his teeth in his
brain, AZ once ended the contest The mon
goose now set TO work to deyour his victim
and IN few minutes had eaten the head and
two or three inches of the body, including the
venom so dreaded by all. We should have
mentioned before that, previous to this en-.
counter. the snake bad struck an owl, which
died within half an hour OF the infiiction of
the bite, showing beyond a doubt its capabil-
Ity Of Inhlcting death wound.
After the mongoose had satisfied his appe-
Ute, We proceeded TO examine with a pocket
lens the wounds which he received from the
cobra, and IN washing away the blood from
one or these places, The lens discovered the
broken lang of the corba i'm beded in the head
OF ne mOngoOse. To discover whether there
was any truth in the assertion that the mon
goose owes It's impunity from the bite OF the
most venemous serpenIs 10 It's knowledge Of
~. A'iO ~ EiSh II an duIuOIc 10 Tue poison, or
whether, on the other hand, a prophyIactic
EXISTS IN the blood OF this extraordinary ami
mai, rendering II inoeuous 10 the bite of a rep
tile ia'al 10 all other animals, we have b AID
The mongOose confined ever since. NOW four
Gays ago. AID u Is new as healthy and as live
~ as ever. We con sider. therefore, that there
no longer exists q doubt that IN the blood Of
the mongoose there v q pro phi lscuc. and that
the idea II derivssits impunity from an herb is
one OF many popnlareTrors.
R-The Organ.griakersa are radistric Tim,