The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-07-21
The Most Venomous Of Snakes.

A recent arrival at the Geological So
ciety's gardens in Regents Park de-
serves special notice. apart from the fact
that it is the first of its species known
to have been brought to England. 1t is
snake, called the echis carinata, about
foot and q half long, and of a dingy
gray. Yet, although IN appearance
neither interesting nor formidable, it is
the deadliest of created things. This
detestabIe little worm, which, looking
at it, the spectator might make bold to
say he could initiate very passably in
cork and putty, is. nevertheless, one OF
the miracles and masterpieces of nature,
for it is death itself, and carries in its
tiny head the secret of destroying life
with the sudden rapidity of lightning
and the concentrated agony Of al
poisons. The echis comes to us from
India, where it Is tolerably common,
being found in nearly every part OF the
peninsula, and feared wherever found
as the incarnation of instant and terri
BILE destruction. Fortunately, however,
for man, it is not, like the cobra and the
korait, q house -frequenting snake; for
its tiny size would give 1t terrible ad-
vantage over human beings who live
crowded together, as the natives of India
do, in small darkened rooms, while its
aggressive habits would make it in,
fnitely more fatal to life than it's dreaded
relatives. For this king Of the asps,
this membro basilisk, is not only
venomous beyond conception, but
is actively offensive. 1t does not
turn to escape from man as the
cobra will, or fash into concealment,
like the korait, but, conscious perhaps
of its deadliness, deliberately keeps the
path against its human assailant, and put
ting it's own eighteen inches Of length
against his bulk, challenges and pro-
yokes the conflict. A stroke with
whip will cut it in two, or clod OF
earth disable IT.; but such is its malig-
nifty that it will invite attack BY every
device at its command, stalking It's own
life on the mere chance Of its adversary
coming within the little circle OF its
power. at most, the radius OF this
circle is twelve inches, but within it, at
any point, lies certain death, and, on the
bare hope of hand or foot trespassing
within it's reach, the echis throws its
BODY into figure-of-eight coil, and, at
tracing attention by rubbing its loops
together, which from the roughness OF
the scales--hence the epithet carlnataC
makes q rustling Kissing sound, erects
its head in the center and awaits attack.
No one having once attacked this ter
rible worm can ever forget itstruculent
aspect when thus aroused, its eagerly az
air, its restless coils, which
in constant motion one over the other,
and rustling ominously all the while,
stealthily but surely bring it nearer and
nearer to the object of its fury; the eye,
malignant even beyond those Of h'a 9thel ne
vipers, and then the lnconcelVaoie "a.
pidity Of its stroke. For the echis does
hot wait to strike until it is within strik-
ing distance, but vents its malice in re-
pcatedly darting at nothing, hoping,
perhaps, toaggravate its antagonist into
coming to closer qualters or, more
oroba bly, as mere expression OF its
own uncomfortable viciousness.-Lon-
Ion Telegraph.