Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-13
A Terrible Snake

new snake. called the echis carinata. which
u the fret specimen of its race seen in England
end CT which We have no specimen here. is at
tracing crowds to the Regents Park. London
and dividing sens alton with Oscar Wilde in his
new sheared and cOHmon-sense form. 1t is
abOut foot and half long, and the color is
oingy gray. 1t is the deadiiest of created
things, for it carries in its tiny head the secret
OF destroying life with the sudden rapidity Of
lightning and the concentrated agony Of all
Poisons. This king of the asps is more danger
Gus than the cobra or the kOrait. for it does not
turn ana run like the one. OF flash into conceal
hent like the other. but with fearless pluck
gives fight ami pitches its eighteen inches OF
length against any conner. stroke of stick
VIII break it in two, or stone will smash it,
but such Is its yenOmOus malgnity that il will
challenge attack by every device i'm its power
stalking It's Own life on the mere chance
OF It's adversary coming within the little
circle OF its reach. At most the radius of that
circle is twelve inches, but within it at any
point lies certain death, and in the bare hope Of
hand or foot trespassing within its reach the
eciis throws its body into fi@ure-Of-eight COIL
and. attracting attention by rubbing its loops
together. which, from the roughness Of the
scales (hence the ep:thet carinata), makes a
Tustiine sound. erects its head in the center and
awaits attack No one having once encountered
this terrible little creature can ever forget its
Cuculenf aspect when aroused; its eagerly
oRsTeSsiSe ff; IT'S restless COILS, whtcE, In con-
slant motion one over another and rustlng
OmnOusly ali the time, bring it nearer and
bearer TO the object of it's fury; its eye malign-
ant even beyond those OF other vipers and then
the uncomfortable Tapidity Of its stroke The
echis does not wait to strike until il is within
striking distance but vents its malice in repeat
eddy darling nj nothing. hoping to agcravate its
antagonist INTO coming TO closer quarters or
more probably as mere expression Of its own
uncomfortable viciousness.
diary of Its daily career finds 1t In the MORN
ing baskng in the SUI. where 1t revels until
aroused to sudden anger by a football. IL then
coils itself up go that iaa!s hand might cover
II. and waits. The needless victim approaches
disregards tie rustling at his feet, and the next
instant goes staggering from the path, for he
has gelt the deathbitc and is doomed. The echiS
never misses lis aim. The bitten man Is given
few moments The swift venom strikes the life
instantly from his blood; his limbs become
paralvzed his eyes DIZZY he reels as he walks,
suddenly stOls, clutches ut something and
falls This is certainly tie perfection Of death
craft. BY flash OF electricity a man can kill a
living creature as instantly as ii 1t had been
struck by lightning, or. invoking the discoveries
Of chemists. can dissolve and destroy life with
oil the terrible circumstances OF vegetable or
mineral poison But these are the results of
sc.eiice, iaboriously acquired by the co-opera-
ton Of generations OF human beings. The echis
IL MASTER Of swift and silent murder Of its own
right from its BIRTH and unaided 1t perfects its
vehlm. and goes out on its warpath to give or
take. its assailants have thousand weapons:
the ,schis only one. But against that one If the
CHARGE to strike comes not all the forces OF ma
tuye or the cunning OF science can prevail.