Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-02-14
REPTILES AND INSECTS.

It is during the rainy season, begin
ing with July and ending with Septem-
Der, that the insect and reptile life in
India is in full force; when the steam
ing heat has evoked sudden burst of
vegetation which the scorching drought
Of the previous three months has kept
dormant. Then, also, these lower
forms of the animal creation, as if
hitherto dormant from the same cause,
burst into sudden and redoubled life
Each patch of the almost visibly grow
ing grass teens with multitudes of in
sects, whose ephemeral life seems to
begin and end with the season. or may
conceal reptiles harmless or noxious to
man. Each footstep has now mors
than ever to be watched against the
dangerous reptile. Chief
among reptiles of India, as elsewhere.
is the snake, and among the snakes of
India the cobra is most dreaded and
deadly. Third in order OF virulcnce is
is the kraft, and as this and the
cobra are most commonly TO be met
with of the poisonous varieties I will
chiefly allHsle to them. OF these two
the cobra, by reason of its nature TO
bite from pure love OF attacking, is by
far the most dreaded and fatal. They
are both partial to dry places, such as
hollows of trees, &C., and also find
suitable quarters in the mud and thatch
houses of the bulk. of the native pop
ulation. The cobra reaches a length
of five feet and Is of light brown
shade, which alone distinguishes it
from other snakes, but added to this
is the ominous fan-shaped hood, with
its black horse shoe mark, which 1t dis
tends from its neck when angry, and
which singles it out from every variety.
1t has beside fierce and yenomous look
peculiarly its own, as If indicating at
ness of power. The kraft, on the other
hand, is Jet black, with pure white
bands and attains even a greater length,
but does not possess either the venom
GUS look of the cobra or its destructive
propensity. The eggs of the kraft /
have repeatedly come across in old eel
lars or beneath masses of lumber, as
large as big hen S eggs, white and soft,
but never have [ found those OF the
cobra. The European is not long in
the country without making acquaint-
ance with one or the other of these
snakes, and generally when least ex-
pected or desired. Indeed, the marvel
of most Anglo Indians after leaving the
country is how they have wcathcred so
many hairbreadth escapes and arc still
extant to tell the tale, especially so
when they recall the very familiar re-
membrance of the numbers OF their
| darker brethren who suecumbed all
around them to snake bite. This i'm
| munity they attribute a good deal to
| the constant presence in their bunga-
| lows of one or more pet dogs who nv,
generally to be found beside their mas
ter's beds at night, sharing along with
them the cooling breeze of the punkas
| My first acquaintance with cobra was
one night when, awoke by loud bark
ing, rising half up in bed, / saw through
the open door of the adjoining bath
room where the night light burned, my
two terriers barking furiously in full bat
tlefro1t of alarge cobra that was reared
on its land facing them in turn. Itwas
| motionless, except for slow swaying
OF the head, its hood was distended to a
complete circle, its tongue darted in
and out, while every now and again it
emitted loud kissing sound (Which at
first made me think of jungle cats) but
never once did it show trace of fear or
remove from the dogs the fierce, fas-
cinating stare that seemed TO rouse
them to frenzy as they kept advancing
and retreating, but still carefully out
side the danger line Fearing their
wrath might get the better of Their dis
erection, / leaped hastily up and dis
patched the reptile with stick, when
the dogs, no longer dreading their enc
my, vented their rage on his inanimate
body. remembered that during the
day [ had been surprised while taking
my bath at the dogs silently and per.
sistently snuffing around an old trunk
in the bath room, and that not in their
usual way when rat or mouse was II
, the question. but took little notice of il
at the time, though it was in front o.
this trunk the snake was reared, and
I have no doubt it was him they scented
, had to thank them in this instance a.
least for the timely warning. Dogs
however, will never attack a cobra a
, them of the risk. During the dry
and kraft often make their haunts
, among the numerous rabbit burrows
where they find temporary headquar
, tiers and food supply in the intercept
, ed rats. From mistaking the occupan
, of burrow, the lower eastes of Hin
, docs, who, like the Chinese, are yer,
partial to field rats as an oecasiona
, delicacy, sometimes get bitten
An instance of the kind came with
in my ownnotice. The ground around I
large tamarind tree fronting my bunga
, low, where the horses were wont tt
get their daily feed of oats-a custom
; to prevent the bulk of it going to thu
bazar for the syce's benefit had go
very much cut up by rats, which haC
| been attracted there by the stray grains
and were extending their raids to the
| bungalow; so sent word to the noonca:
who had long cast Wistfnl eyes or
i the spot. After digging out some five
or six nests and unaarthing abou
thirty rats the terriers finding de
, lightful sport in accounting for then
i as quickly as they appeared = they
were digging out another burrow
and had come near the end by the IN
d'cation of signs familiar to them
when, as usual, one of them inserted
a hand to bring out the rats single
file, and SO prevent Their emerging
in a body and some perhaps, escaping
In an instant the man, with terrible
yell, drew back his hand with a cobrs
clinging to it. The reptile had seized
his finger, but was dispatched inme
diately and arapid incision W. th pen
knife and cauterY with q hot iron il