, 1876-04-08
SNAKES OF INDIA.


Bear in mind that no snake charmer wa,
present, that neither pipe nor whistle was
used, that every snake had its poison fangs
or teeth in capital order, and that no mean,
save the marvellous skill of the native opera
tors employed in the exhibition which fol,
lowed, and you will have good idea of ths
peril through which those Hindoos passed.
1t was early in the morning-not, however,
before the snakes, which were in a series oi
wire boxes, were awake and lively-that We
we're shown into stone Aoored room some
20 feet long and II broad. In the boxes
were the strongest and desdliest snakes in
India-pythcus, ophlophagi, cobrss, korites,
Russell snakes and many others. The Hin
docs who had charge of them were two slim
wiry little men, nude to the waist, as most OF
their countrymen are. They wore neither
gloves nor any other protection, and had no
instrument of any kind in the place. After
showing the varied collection under their
care. they proceeded TO open the python case,
and one of them putting his hand in, seized
floor close to our feet. The python objected
to such treatment, and began To hiss, max
ing, at the same time, vigorous effort to
rise. But the snake-keeper was waiting for
! this, and no sooner did that huge shining
began TO curve than the keeper put ont his
hand, and, seizing the creatures tail, pulled
it back with jerk. Instantly the python
was powerless-hissing, but unable to move !;
| the more he struggled the more tenaciously
did the keeper do his tail, explaining mean
while that SO long as the reptile was COL
| trolled in that fashion there was no danger
of its doing mischief; then, Just as its rage
was becoming ungovernable, the man lifted
it quickly, and with a jerk deposited it in the
box. Its companion was now taken out in q
similar manner, and slapped and butfetted
till throughout its entire length, some twelve
| feet, it quivered with passion, but all TO no
purpose it, too, was presently replaced in the
cage, and shut up 10 hiss at leisure.
The fact that an ophlophagus IL in the Re
gents Park Geological Gardens rendered the
| next exhibition more interesting, although II
| may be doubted whether the throwing into
80 small room Of snake seven feet long
was agreeable 10 the visitors. One bite from
the reptile and any one of rs would have
been deld in five minutes, for 1t was excep-
tionally strong and lively. Up rose its head,
! o came is glittering tongue, its eyes di-
/ lated, its huge throat swelled, and all seemed
ready tor desperate attack, when the keeper
struck ,h. reptiles mouth with the back Of his
|! hand. and before it could strike him had seized
| il lust under the head The other native now
seized its center aud tail, and without more
! ado the terrible creature was hoisted into the
| air rs harmless as p butterfly, and its fangs
exposed 10y the aid of Il small piece of wire.
| Those teeth were literally full OF poison
! enough TO have killed dozen persons.
At length, our curiosity satisfied, this mon
! ster was put inio his cage, and his brother
| plucked out by the naked native, with the
hand, aud thrown on the floor He, too,
! was translucent for "a minute, endeayUr!ng 10
follow the uupantalooued HIndoO round the
room but he had reckoned without his host,
or rather his keeper, for he was seized pre-
sently by the tail, and hois:ed up Just as the
| other had been. In vain he Missed aud spat.
Hls tongue might move IN and out as often
a. it pleased, but all TO no purpose; whether
on the floor or IN the air It's efforts to bite
were perfectly unava;ling, ara when the
cage was open it skunk III, disconnected
serpent.
a cobra was the next to be turned out, a
strong, healthy snake, nearly five feet IN
length, with a hood. the power Of moving
! which somewh startled Us. But move as II
might, the agile native was too quick for 1t.
He would put his knee within a foot of 1t as
it stood up ready TO strike, and 1t would strike
dart as futile, however, 1t was sudden.
Then it would hiss, as though hoping tO
frighten Its adversary; /! might as Well have
Missed at the wall And, Just when 1t got
up again, and was so enrsged that it could
scarcely wait for good opportunity TO strike
at the natives knee, which Was moving be-
fore it in the most tEntalizing manner, the
keepers hand was quietly placed under It's
head, and it was removed like It's predeees-
sors. "Will 1t blIei" | asked. See,
said the native. Taking up a piece Of bsm-
! Doc sLTclcDcu dCIO-S u Eutci- ne uciO lAS nOOo
to the serpent's mouth. Instantly the reptile
seized the protfered bait, It's eyes glistening,
lis neck distended, and crunched the wOOd as
though it was tinder- Two three mo-
meuts elapsed as the teeth penetrated farther
into the fibre, and then We ssw the poison
, falling in white drops into shell, which acted
as a kind of saucer. | was particular IL
noticing two points in regard 10 this Incl
dent; first, that the poison did not come
from the faugs Immediately the bite was IN
fiieted-a fact which will account for tht
moDgoose living sometimes after he Is bitten
by the cobra and, next, that The quantity J
Of venom emitted Wac much greater than L
generally supposed There were five OF siz
large white drops In the shell, and probably
one OF two absorbed IN the bamboo " her
forced to surrender the wood the serpent
seemed by no means exhausted the hort
was much torn, for the teeth had penetrated
nearly quarter OK inch
When another cobra, equally large, Wa:
examined. il was shown that the tee b wer,
| set back some distance IN the heads and thai
they were by no means so large as those o
viper which was shown afterwsrd, and
|. which was 50 quick in its movements that Il
hooked stick. This huge viper made sGct
desperate attempts 70 striks one or '~o OF u'
that We were by no means sorry when ih'
keeper seized him BY the reek and taii and
opened his mouth. His fan2s were large
than the cobra by onz-half, and strong. 1hey
must have obtained 4 great quantity OF Te
nom. A Russell I" snake, with golden
spotted back, was the next On the ioor, and
il hissed violently, but was taken up Just q
easily rs he Others after it had been provoked
to g great rage Of several minutes korite
proyerbislIy deadly. had bsen played 50 many
tricks before that il wss slow 70 take part IL
the fun. Once or twice 1t struck VleloUsly a.
keeper, but without any effect, and at las
erased to make any effort 10 bite the Hindoo
There was no need tO play pipe or tom
J tom to ave that snake. 1t was only toc
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