The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-12-27
COBRA AND TIC POLONGA
Deadly Feud Between the Most
Ven0m0us Serpents in Ceylon.

From ages past the susceptibility OF snakes
to the influence of music has been fully
recognized, and it would be interesting 10
know how many varieties acknowledge its
power. In Ceylon the natives say that
only two-and they the two most venomous,
the cobra and the tic polonga can be
charmed. The former, the hooded CT spec
taeled snake. everyone has heard of; the
latter is not so well known out of the ISL
and, and is far more deadly and dangerous
foe. The natives hold the cobra in the
highest estimation. and look upon it as the
king Of sDakes-the Tamil name for it
being, in fact, "nulla parmbu," or 'good
snake" and l think it is an admitted fact
that ~ will seldom, If ever, attack anyone
uDprovoked. l have myself seen cobras
under many circumstances, and although l
have eonscientiously destroyed everyone
that have been able to. / have no hesita-
ton in saying that they are not dangerous
unless disturbed. In proof Of this
| would quote the case of a pair
that occupied hole in clump
OF oleanders in certain garden for several
years. No one ever disturbed them, and
they summed themselves where they pleased,
and the gardener rather looked upon them
as an additional attraction to the place.
They used to eat squirrels, young birds, and
anything else that came in their way but
manned unmolested as long as l knew the
place, and probably raised an interesting
family meanwhile. Unlike the cobra the tic
p0longa is always ready to attack on the
slightest pr0v0cation, and as it lnhabtS
many locaities-Some being found in shrubs
and trees, some in grassy waterways, aud
others invariably in the vicinity of foot
paths-it is more often met WITH and is, |
think, responsible for must of the fatal cases
OF snakebite that happen from time to time.
This in ba hah Of ho
snakes is well known to the natives, and is
the subject OF one of the SinghaleSe fables,
which is as follows:
One very dry year, when little rain fell,
when rivers had dwindled into a silver
thread, when tanks were baked hard and
brown and wells and water-courses were
dried up, a poionga, suffering agonies frem
thirst and faint from the 0verpowering
heat, met cobra looking very lively and
refreshed. Have you found water any
said Yes" .'Where. oh, where is it?
Tell me, l implore you, for l am dying OF
thirstG said the polonga. The cobra re-
piled, !" l cannot tell you, unless you prom
Use to do I no harm to any living thing that
replied the polonga, Il would promise any
thing so that might quench this intolerable
thirst And he gave a solemn promise.
We'll, them" said the cobra, "beyond
those bushes is large earthen pan of water,
III WHICH u cnliu Is playing. 10 ana drink
from it, but at your peril do not harm
the child" So saying they parted. The
cobra, after going little why. began to dis
trust the polouga, knowing the latter's
treacherous disposition and rugged temper,
and turned to follow him. He arrived too
late. The polonga had not only drunk of
the water. but crept into the pan, where the
child began to play with him. On this he
grew violently angry, bit the child with all
its force, so violently, indeed, that the in
FAINT died in a few minutes. The cobra, in
hot and fiery Indignation, attacked the po-
Tonga ana punished him severely, biting off
piece OF his tail. Hence to this day all
polongas have blunt tails. Ever since CO.
bras and polongas have been at de1dly feud.
They are the most venomous serpents in
Ceylon. When people hate one another
mortally they are said proverbally to be
like cobra and pOlonga.-F. Fitz-Roy Dixon
in Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly for Jan