Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-01-31
THE DEADLY COBRA.

THE DEADLY COBRA.
midas Most Dreaded and Venomous
Snake-How it Acts When Attackine
an Enemy,
From Chambers Journal
We have been favored with the fol.
lowing details concerning one of the
deadliest of the Indian snakes, the
cobra, by gentleman who has passed
many years in the East. He SAYS
"The cobra de capello, (hiqudians, J
sometimes called the hooded or spec.
tacle snake is the commonest and at
the same time the most dreaded of all
the venomous snakes of India. When
excited or confronting an enemy, it as
sumes remarkably graceful posture
OF defense, by raising the forepart of
the body to the height of perhaps a foot
and half from the ground, and at the
same moment drawing together into q
coll the remaining portion of it's body
and tall, till it forms as it were kind
OF spiral spring, which, aided by the
elasticity and muscular power of it's
frame, enables it, so soon as it deems
it's opponent to be within range of it's
stroke, to launch itself forward with
lightning rapidity. In an instant the
bite is given, which as we shall present
~ see, is nearly if not always fatal.
believe that the COBRA de capello is
found throughout Hindustan, though it
is far more numerous in some localities
than in others. In some of our
signal stations where have been GUAR
tered, have not seen single cobra
nor noticed the trace Of one from one
years end to an other; in others, espe-
clally during the rains, hardly q week
has passed without several having been
seen. In Bundelcund, especially in
the neighborhood of Jhansi and Lullut-
pore, the cobra is unusually common.
1t harbors chiefly in holes nnder the
foundations and in walls of old ruined
forts and temples, in honey combed ant
hills, in the sides of old wells, or amid
the debris of fallen buildings and de.
serted outhouses, particularly where
grass and Jungle have been allowed to
grow, and rubbish to accumulate.
During the day it is rarely seen abroad,
but lies coiled up asleep in its place of
concealment, sallying forth in search
OF food 80 soon as darkness sets In. It
preys chiefly on frogs, toads, rats,
young birds, and the like. It will
readily invade a house in quest of such
creatures, and On entering q room
travels round the angles made by the
walls and floor. During the hot
weather months, when, On account of
the oppressive heat, doors and windows
are left wide open throughout the
night, and there is nothing to bar the
entrance of vermin of all sorts, it is
nothing unusual in the morning to find
portions of the slough cast off It's body,
by prowling cobra. Houses with
thick matched roofs, particularly old
buildings, are always more frequented |
by snakes than tiled dwellings of recent
construction. It is q mistake to i'm
aglne that a cobra, or in fact any other
KIND OF serpent that [ am acquainted |
with, Will ever bite or modest human |
beings, unless disturbed, meddled with |
or provoked in the first instance. On
the contrary, greater majority of
snakes are only too glad to be permit
ted to escape, and beat q retreat when
discovered by man; and unless driven
into corner or followed up speedily
vanish into some old rat-hole, or other
hldlng-place, without showing, beyond
threatening hiss, sign of opposition
to, or desire of retaliating on, the in
truder. believe that nearly always it |
is the sense of fear more than anything
else that induces the cobra, when sur
prised or touched, even without hurt, |
instantaneously to turn and bite the
person who has alarmed it. The boots |
and trousers or CATERS usually worn by
Europeans when out walking or shoot
ing, In great measure protect the |
wearers from the teeth of snakes. Ma
tives of India, on the other hand, in |!
spite of the fearful loss of life annually |
occasioned among them by poisonous
snakes, appear to be perfectly callous
and Indifferent about guarding against |
such dangerous creatures, neglecting to
take even the most ordinary precau-
tons. Some classes sleep upon char.
poys, or native bedsteads but the
great majority, especially of the poorer
orders, sleep on the ground, with their
heads wrapped up, and their bodies en-
veloped in sheet or blanket A CO.
bra, when travelling at night in search
of fooG, instead of circling round, often
crosses over the body or legs of the
sleeper; the weight and movement of |
the reptile partially awakens the unfor-
tunate umbersr, who, in half-con-
scious state, puts out his hand to dis
cover what has disturbed him, proba-
bly, touches the hideous intruder, and
is Immediately bitten.
EcOnOmiZiDg Rum.
From the Detroit Free Press.
Yesterday morning a rough-looking
chap entered barber-shop on Griswold
street and sat down for a shave, paying
for the same in advance, " so as to have