The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-07-26
SNAKES IN INDIA.

It is estimated that nine to ten thou.
sand ndtSres are killed annually in Ben.
gal alone by snakes; and throughout
India, at q rough calculation, probably
very much under the mark-twenty
thousand persons lose their lives from
this cause every year. There is no per.
ceptible diminutiOn in the number oil
these deadly reptiles; on the contrary,
they are seemingly increasing, notwith.
standing that Government puts price
on the head Of every snake destroyed
and small though the reward may be,
INDECENT peasants are not slow to avail
themselves OF it. and a snake that ven.
lures to show itself rarely survives the
discovery. The cry of Sampl (snake)
has a magical effect ON the most apa.
thetic and inert Of natives.
Those whose experience of snakes is
acquired in the Zoo can form but a
faint idea OF the rapidity with which
the indolent-looking ophidian can move
when so inclined; and were one to es-
cape from its glass cage in that inter-
esting collection, the agility of its move-
ments would only be elualled by that
OF the astonished spectators toward the
outer air. Were the habits of the snake
family more aggressive and less retiring
than they are, Ghis sprightliness would
be announcement beyond measure; and
but for this tendency to shun man and
escape from HIM at all times, the bill OF
of mortality. which Sir Joseph Fayrer
has shown us is frightfully large, would
be infinitely greater than it Is. Hap
ply, sel-preservation is an instinct as
strohg IN serpents as IN the hares otour
neids.
IN large towns like Bombay or Cali
cutta' SNAKES are not unknown; whilst
IN and about the bungalows of most, if
mo- all, country stations, they are COM
mon' ana pay visits to these habita-
10, Ions AZ lnconvenlently short intervals.
mere are lew bungalows the matched
TOOL Oh Whlch ls.not the occasional abode
OF the op,ectlonable sPecies--the sGnkOr,
OF r0oi,snaKe whilst round about, in
Che nollows OF OLD trees, or beneath the
noo5lng OF the rooms, or In the garden
nafu Dy' come at intervals specimens
= OF less dangerous to human life.
~ I, VIII serve 70 snow the nature of the
1anger from TINS source, II ! relate
Jew OF my own personal experiences
y nuIing resluence OF some years in
1engai:
VI Ihe many SNAKES killed by me-
soll9 nunureus-A retain the liveliest
1ecoliecSlon q tne nrst my eyes beheld.
! was tnen IIVlng In. small three
roomeu bungalow, the Hoo ing of which
was almost on level with the ground
Uutsi1e. amongst Other annoyances,
: place was INFESTED with rats; and
Ieing SO low, tne number OF little toads
mat mace Iree use OF every room was
lHcreuiDie' MY sweeper would in
snort Time I'LL and refill a gytGh Ia sort
Of ROUND eartnern pot capable of hold
ing more IMAM GALLON up to the brim
w Y . as we called them frogs, but
Lney were reaily toads OF jumping
Alnu anu the only tnlng to be said in |
Snelr favor was tneir capacity Tor swal-
lv"ing mosquitoes, beetles and other
ninus Oh creeping and flying insects.
DuC as SET on against tn advantage /
comes the iact that snakes with equal I
ANldlty swallow ana rel sh toads, and
7iS eFer III quesGoi tnese dainty NOR
,o,s. . a ne a.s, however, troubled me
nosS lney uesCroyeu my SHOES, drank
~ me Oh IN my nignt tampa very
y 3, mitiVe arrangement known as the
es-oatsce' mat carries one back to the
,llne Oh moses1son etlmes e tlnguish-
u sne hgnS IN Inc process; and made
~ navoc Oh my ootlon- stuiied pillows,
ne son.enes OF wnicn l would often d s.
'oNer, aIDer an absence OF lew days
ron. rom nulne' streWn ABOUT the floor, and
ne pillow-cases rutnlessly destroyed;
II W. was not RI. IN uhcommon tning to
,na !" ~ ,L. ~, "l 4,s - ec'e1 an en-
l;hhI; T aa.g ' sde nlosiu'EO curtains,
'ose ns isv y h m,S"in T 1n in T o. my
awe,s i a. IA "a. 10y ne nlgn
un dr. aatah1es s sna ,o s.1reu WIN
o;se smonost he croc T. Sor ,o NV, mss we
- YLIssO sn0 olooASiJ eucIe tnat