Morning journal and courier., 1880-07-05
The Most Venomous of Snakes.
The Disposition and Habits Of the Echis
 Cnrinata-A Fearless and Deadly Rep-
[From the London Telegraph.

From the London Telegraphl
 A recent arrival at the Geological Society's Gardens in Regents Park deserves special notice, apart from the fact that 1t is the first of it's species known to have been brought to England. It is a snake, called the echis car inata about 0 foot and half long, and of dingy gray. Yet, although in appearance neither interesting nor formidable, it is the deadiest of created things. This detestable little worm, which, looking at it, the specta- tator might make bold to say he could imi- tate very passably in cork and putty, is, nev- ertheless, one of the miracles and master pieces of nature, for it is death itself, and carries in it's tiny head the secret of destroy ing life with the sudden rapidity of lightning and the concentrated agony of all poisons. The echis comes to us from India where it is tolerably common, being found in nearly every part of the peninsula, and feared where ever found as the incarnation of instant and terrible destruction. Fortunately however, for man, it is not like the cobra and the ko- rait, 8 house se-frequenting snake for it's tiny size would give it terrible advantage over human beings who live crowded together, as the natives of India do, in small darkened rooms, while it's aggressive habits would make it infinitely more fatal to life than it's dreaded relatives. For this king of the asps, this modern basilisk is not only venomous beyond conception, but is actively offensive It does not turn to escape from man, as the
 
 korait but, conscious perhaps of it's deadli- ness, deliberately keeps the path against it's human assailant, and, putting it's own IS inches of length against his bulk, deliberately challenges and provokes the conflict. A stroke with whip will cut it in two, or clod of earth disable it but such is it's malignity that it will invite attack by every device at it's command stalking it's own life on the mere chance of it's adversary coming within the little circle of its power. At most, the radi- us of this circle is 12 inches, but within it, at any point, lies certain death, and, on the bare hope of hand or foot trespassing within its reach, the echis throws it's body into 0 fgure-of-eight coil, and, attracting attention by rubbing it's loops together, which from the roughness of the scales-hence the epithet carinata-makes rustling, hissing sound erects it's head in the center and awaits at tack. No one once having encountered this terrible worm can ever forget its truculent aspect when thus aroused its easily aggres- siye air. it's restless coils, whin in constant motion one over the other and rustling om- inously all the while, stealthily but surely bringing it nearer and nearer to the object of its fury; the eye, malignant even beyond those of other vipers, and then the inconceivable rapidity of its stroke. For the echis does not wait to strike until it is within striking distance, but vents it's malice in repeatedly darting at nothing, hoping, perhaps, to ag- gravate it's antagonist into coming to closer quarters, or more probably, as a mere ex- precision of its ownincontrollable viciousness.