Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-11-17
BRATTLEBORO, VT, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER II, 1876


he struggled the moro tenacously did the
keeper hold his tail, explaining meanwhile
that so long as the reptile was controlled
in that fashion there was not danger of its
doing mischief; then Just as lis rage was
becoming ungovernahle, the man lifted II
quickly, and with a jerk deposited 1t in
the box. It's companion was now taken
out In similar manner, and slapped and
buleled till throughout its entire length,
some twelve feet, it quivered with passion,
but all to no purpose; it, too, was present.
ly replaced in the cage, and shut up TO hiss
al its leisure.
The fact that an ophiophagus Is in the
Regents Park Geological Gardens render
ed the next exhibition more interesting, al
though it may be doubled whether the sud-
den throwing into so small room OF
snake seven feet long was agreeable TO vis-
itors. However, there was no danger, for
the venomous creature was so completely
in its keepers power that we had no oeca-
sion 10 fear. One bite from the reptile, and
any one of us would have been dead In five
minutes, for it was exceptionally strong
and lively; but it was no more able to bite
us than the little mongoose Gagged outside
the door. Up rose its head, out came its
slilhering tongue, its eyes dilated, It's huge
throat sweled, and all seemed ready for a
desperate attack, when the keeper struck
the reptiles mouth with the back OF his
hand, and before it could strike him had
seized 1t just under the head. Then it
struggled, but only to get away-u had met
that native before, and did not al all ap-
prove OF his treatment. The other native
now seized its centre and tail, and without
more ado the terrible creature was hoisted
into the air, as harmless as a butterfly, and
its rangs exposed by the aid ofn small
piece of wire. Those teeth were literally
full of poison enough 10 have killed a
dozen persons. AT length, our curiosity
satisfied, this monster was put into his cage,
and his brother plucked out by the naked
native. with the hand, and thrown on the
flour. lie, too, was truculent for minute,
endeavoring 10 follow the unpautalooned
Hindou round the room but he had reck-
oned without his host or rather his keeper !;
for he was seized presently by the tail and
hoistcd up Just as the other had been. In
VAIN nt ulSNtu ahh ol'SN' as . Nv ''t71-N
move in and out as oGlen as il pleased, but
all TO no purpose; whether on the floor or
in The air its efforts to bite were perfectly
unavailing, and wien the cage was opened
it skunk ina disconnected serpeal.
A cobra was next 10 be turned out, a
strong, healthy snake, nearly FIVE feet in
length, with a hood the power Of moving
which somewhat startled us. But move
as ii might the agile native was too quick
for it. He would put his knee within a
foot of il, as it stood up ready 10 strike, and
it would make dart, as futile, however, as
| it was sudden. Then ii would hiss, as
| tn ough hoping 10 Tighten its adversary--it
III ight as well have hissod " the wall. And,
| just when ii had got up again, and was so
enra ged that ii could scarcely wait for a
go cd opportunity 10 strike at the natives s
knee, which was moving before ii in a
most tantalizng manner, the keepers hand
was quietly placed under its head, and il
was removed like its predecessors. "Will
| it bileY' asked. "See," said the native.
Taking up a piece OF bamboo stretched
across a shell, he held the wood to the SER
penrs mouth. Instantly the reptile seized
the profTercd bait, its eyes glistening, its
neck distended, and crunched the wood as
though it was tinder. Two or three mo-
mcnts elapsed as the teeth penetrated far
ther into the fibre, and then we saw the
poison falling in white drops into the shell
which acted as a kind of saucer. / was
particular in noticing two points in regard
TO this incident first, that the poison did
not come from the fangs Immediately [af
teri the bite was inflicted-a fact which viii
account for the mongoose living sometimes
afler he is bitten hy the cobra; and, next
that the quantity Of venom emitted wa
much greater than is generally supposed
There were tive or six large white drops ia
the shell, and probably one or two mor'
absorbed In the bamboo. When forced tC
surrender the wood, the serpent seemed by
10 means exhausted The fibre was mucl
torn, for the teeth had penetrated nearly
quarter of an inch.