The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-05
the Most vcmemous of snakes.

rur prsposlroy AND HABITS OF THE tcHTs
CARISATA--A FEARLESS AND DEADLY REP
TILE.
A recent arrival at The Geological So.
ciety's Gardens in Regents Park deserves
srecial notice, apart from the fact that u Is
the irst OF It's species known 10 have been
brought TO England. 1t Is snake, cal'ed
the echis cqrinGto, about foot and hali
long. and OF q diugy gray. Yet, although
In anpearancc neither interesting nor Tor
midabIe. il Is the desdllcst OF created things.
This detestable little worm, which, looking
NJ II. the speclator might make bold to say
he could initiate very psssably In corr
and puttv. is, nevertheless, one OF the
miracles and masterpieces Of nature, for II
is death itself. and carries in its tiny head
the secret of destroying life with the SUD
den rapidiiy Of lightning and the concen-
trated agony OF all poisons. The cchls
comes TO us from India, where it Is toerabiy
common, being found in nearly every part
of the peninsula, and feared wherever found
az the Incarnation OF instant ana terriDie
destruction. Fortunately, however, Tor
man, II is not, like the cobra and the koral',
house-freQucnting snake; for its tiny SIZE
would give il a terrible advantage over hu-
man beings who live crowded together, as
the natives OF India do, in small darkened
rooms, while its aggressive habits Woulu
make il infinitely more fatal 10 lie IMAM It's
dreaded relatives. For this king OF the asps,
this mndern basilisk, is not only venomous
beyond conception, but is 3clively offensive.
Il does not turn to escape from man, as the
cobra will, or fash into concealment IKE
The korait, but, conscious perhaps OF us
deadlineSs, deliberately keeps the path
against its human assailant, and putting It's
own eighteen inches OF length against MS
bulk. challenges and provokes the conflict.
A stroke with a whip will cut it IN two, or
a cIod OF earth disable 1t; but such is its
molignity that IT will invite attack by every
device at its command, stalking its own life
on the mere chance OF its adversary coming
within the little circle OF its power. AT
most. tine radius Of this circle is twelve
inches. but within Il. at any point. lies GER
tain death, and, on the bare hope OF hand or
foot trespassing within its reach, the echis
throws its body into n tigure-of-cight coil,
and. attracting attention by rubbing its
loops together, which from The rouehness Of
The scales fbencethe epthet cqrindtd), makes
rus;ling, Kissing sound, erects its bead In
the ceLtrc, and awaits attack. No one hav-
| ing once encountered this terrible worm
can ever forget its truculent aspect when
thus aroused, IFS eagerly aggressive air, its
restless coils, which, in constant motion one
over the other, and rustling ominOusy all
the while, stealthly but surely bring 1t
nearer and nearer to the object OF It's fury !;
the eye, malignant even beyond those OF
other vipers, and then the inconceiyable
rapidty OF its stroke. For the ecbis does
not wait 10 strike until it is within striking
distance, but vents its malice in repeatedly
darling at nothing, hoping, perhaps, to ag-
gravate its antagonist into coming TO closer
quarters, or, more probably, as a mere eX-
preston OF its own uncomfortable vicious