The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1883-07-07
GOOSE AND SNAKE.
!. A Lively Account eff a Lively Fight
Between a Mongoose aad a cobra.
London Standard.

B.tween n n Mongoose aad cobra.
London Standard.
'At the present time, when the pro-
pOeei introduction @f the mongoose
into Australia is under discussion, per-
haps the following extract from the
Leisure Hour October, 1879, de- crib
ing a combat between one of those ami
mails anda cobra, may prove interest.
ing 10 som" Of your readers. A re.
port of the ht, is stated, was sent t.,
the Madras newspapers, signed by sew
eral Indian officers who were eye wit
nesses, and dated Trichinopoly, July
Is, 1868. IL is as follows: "The mon
goose approached the cobra with eau
ton, but. devoid of any appearance Of
fear. The cobra, with head erect and
body vibrating, watched his opponent
with evident sigus of being aware of
how deadly an enemy he mad to con-
tend with. The mougoose was soon
within easy striking distance of the
snake, who, suddenly throwing back
his head, struck a. the mongoose with
tremendous force. The mopgoose,
quick as thought, sprang back out OF
reach, uttering Mt the same time saw
age growf Again the hooded reptile
rose on the defensive, and the mon.
goose, nothing dauuted by the distended
Jaws and glaring eyes of his antagonist,
approached so near 10 the snake that
he was 70 ced back, not relishing such
close proximity, 10 draw his head back
considerably; this lessened his distance
from the ground. The mongoose, at
once seizing the advantageous oppar-
tunity, sp-ang at the cobra's head, and
appeared to inhict as well az receive a
wound. Again the combatants put
themselves in position to renew the
encounter; again the snake struck at
his willy opponent and again the latter's
agility saved him. II would be
tedious to recount III further de-
tail the particulars of about a
dozen successive rounds at the end
of which time neither combatant
seemed 10 suffer mere than the other.
The fight had lasted some three quarters
of an hou and both combatanls SEEM
ed now TO nerve themselves for the
final encounter. The cobra, changing
mis- position of defence for that of attack,
advanced, and seemed determined now
ito do or die; Slowly on his watchful
enemy the cobra advanced with equal
courage the moDgoose waited the ad-
vance oil his still unvanquished foe.
The cobra had now approached so
close tha, the mopgoose (who, owing
TO want Of space behind. wasurlapiv To
spring ou of reach by jumping back
ward, a. it had done IN previous en-
countersl nimbly bounded straight u
in the ar. The cobra missed his OBJ
ject, and struck the ground under him.
[mmedia ely on the mongoose alight-
ing, the bra, quick as thoughr, struck
again, and, to all appearance, fixed his
fangs in the head of the mongoose.
.T4e gs; opse, as the cobra was with
drawls hS bead after he had inflicted
the bitp, instantly retiliated by fixing
his teeth in the head of the cobra. This
seemed - convince the cobra that he
was no match for his watchful autsgon-
ist; and now, no longer exhibiting a
head erect and defiant eye, he unfold
ed his coils and ignOmIniuusly skunk
away. Instantly the mongoose was on
his retire ating foe, and burying his
teeth ir his brain, ended the contest.
The mungoose now set to work TO de-
vour his victim, and in Il few minutes
had eaten the head and two or three
inches ofthe body, including the venom
SO drea, ed by all. We should have
mentic d before that previous to This
encouLtr the snake hsd struck IA fowl,
which i d within half an hour of the
inHectic. of the bite, showing beyond
doubt its cspability of ilhicting deadly
wound. After the mongoose had salts
fed his appetite, We proceeded TO ex'
anime r pocket lens the wounds
that he lad received from the cobra,
and on w"shing away the b cod from
one of th .se places the lens disclosed
the broken fang of the cobra deeply
imbedded in the head of the mopgoose.
We have bad the mongoosc confined
ever since (now four days ago.. and il
is now as healthy and lively AS ever. y
This anecdote lends strong confirmation
70 the, tn. Dry that the mongoosa il
nnipjured by the venom of poisonous
Snakes