The Meeker herald., 1891-01-31
vENoMoUS REPTILES.
1hs Assasaishinsiy Largo Rate Il Mortal
= ity from kens-sttDs S~aoul

1hs Asepatshtngly Large Rate ~ AoVAs-
y isy FROM S~rp-s'iSs S"souI
II The published figures are 1t al 10
cursts, from twelve to twenty thou
sand persons die In British lndis from
snake bite. largely from that Of the cobra,
which IL serpent of domestic habits, That
the reptile was not long ago exterminats'd
from all inhabited localities, says writer
In tho Cincinnati Commemorate Gazette, is
owing To the fact TINT II 10 worshipad by
many OF the natives Even to-day In Mala-
bar Hill. the most fashionable European
quarter Of bombay, u short tune played on
. musical Instrument rarely fails 10 bring u
cobra out OF some hole or crcvicn, for native
generation Is too much for English caution.
The natives are the chief sufferers from
this folly. Very few Engishmen have
been bitten. for they do not walk out bare
footed, and usually take u cane to poke the
grass through which they walk. We b.
lieys only four Or i've whites OF promi-
nence have been bitten by poisonous
snakes in India since tho opeulnx
OF the present century, and Que OF
these MAS = midshipman on . YES.
sci In the Bay Of Bengal One Of the dead
ly hydrisais, or water snakes, bad been
nshed up, and the unfortunate youth
handled II without knowing that IL wa.
vrnomous. Had the Hindoos exercised
common sense. there would now bs few
cobrss outsIdes Of tho jungics. Martinique
and the neighboring island. OF ~. Lucia
each report y mortality from acrpontino
venom rivaling that Of India, for each Of ihess
islands Is overrun with tho fer do lance.
nerceiy aggressive viper, which has the
popularity Of giving birth to sixty little
snakes ~ once.
African explorers have their trouble.
with snakes, but they award tho palm Of
danger not TO them, nor TO the hons or
leopards, but To tho hcree wild buffalo bulls
During Prof Drummond's reecn, journey
to Lake Syaasa, two Of his follow
-rs were tossed by one Of these savage
creatures, and u WAS almost miracle that
one OF tho wounded men survived the IN
Iuries TO his shoulders and ribs, Tho pua
adder. an apparently sluggish creature. re.
sembling In build. though no, in iis
gorgeous coiors, tho horrib.. black and
clumsy cottoumouthcd mo..a>lns Of our
houthern swamps. has - pleasant trick OF
buryinR itself In the leaves and no~s and Of
striking baekw ard a. any I-r.o who hap
I-ns Ia CONS near II Thc naia haze. . drst
cousin Of tho Indian cobra, but moro AZ
Hrr,sys and irritable. AID tho mamba,
which runs down iis victims, are the prinei-
pal remaining poisonous >-rT-rn's Of Africa
There arc green, black and EAui--colorrd
nAnib,s, tn, last m-aiIonci being oftcu
created. The tnambas sometimes reach .
length Of twelve feet, and arc known 10 have
chased = hor.cnian for uiI!os. Their bite 10
almost certain death
survey OF tho serpeH,.ns kingdom e..
tAblish-s tho far; that tho most poisonous
shAkcs arc afraid Of human b-,nss. tn.
chief rxecP,.on arr III, mambA, tho naia
-. a
ham iryad. OF barnah This creature,
which rivals tho manila IN length. has al
expanding head liz. the cobra and naia
hs!-, but did-rs from both In somo aha,om.
lea, particulars and Also Ia tho fact that u
.s = eannihai. living principally on other
snahrs, oa- Of them chased . thurman In
The woods Tow y-ars aso, Tho maa ran.
and thought la .ssst,r by swimmin. srr>s
. narrow s,r-am. To hls horror. on rvsrh,
ing tho farther bank be- found that tho snake
had cFuss-si ahead Of hin. In HE despair no
tore Cd HE turtsan and thrrw u at tho rep
iilsL Tho latter was s.aR enough to 70
for the white rag and wasir hts vcnctu
ur.oa Il, tho tr,au meanwhile making HE ~.
cato.
Ths unamhAs ARC principally found Ia
Natal. though they exist to sa;nc extent -
Tar ssrth As Zanzibar. ard map cv~a hare
'Ps~sd % far as III, dcseft wo have foaed
ao ua-ai'oa Of ih1,r presence IN keyps o. IN
.s.ss 'es sg..sf sss Afsss wgsS sEfsss4 y
thru frptu tho Northern TROPICS sad sub
trops-s. for ihoy flourish uadcr similar eli.
matte iaIaens.-s saglh ostho .inc We DO
ueo tina, sa ii-ssi 10 aa lie travels Ia tho Ct
feet that tho ''srrf-n,s'' Which killed 90
faaaJ Of tho tsrsri.i-s daring th~tf csoius
frua Esyp, wvr- guinea worms, srsco',6e
My SnoNn as the ara-a..uiuA Thee fear.
ful crra,1rcs burr themselves 10 human
d-sh. producing snf~s which of,sa Prove
's;al We eoab,. however. whether ih~J
-aa b. n.aip TO fusllI tho ,!-s.aads Of tho
Acrp,srr narrative. ", rc-i IN Hausbrss.
Ri, that '.;he Lord seat ncry s1rp~n,s
A,aoas Tho tsop'- and much r-op'o Of isrA'
ri died.
Geology has ma.e us acquainted with es.
'inat rrp'i..s with whom ono would not Ike
In meet, rs-n were b. clothed ia . coAs of
n all sad armed with a repeating r,n~.
rrum some 81 'hcs- mpe.,rrs tho dragons
sBi griffin. which asvr. In tho folk lofv
81 all ha'Auus were untOab'rslly drp-~t~i.
rh"y have happiiy ruur. never 10 return. -
have nsHs' Of the r.,;i~snax-s which former.
" ins.s;-,i eur oliest states. To this day.
however. an "-casscusi ra;;lrr is killed In
hr Hue liiii. 81 Milton. Ices than . dossa
niles FROM Boston. and the sra scrrcut, 81
sr,ar-u,iy solitary rrlAc Of shc saar,aa
LAYS. ever, now and then mases his ~
t--sran.- In tho ocean.
Hr.-n, travellers in Alaska havo heard
IRON the Indians. though their faith has not
,--n strengthened by si.ht. THAI herds Of
m as'o-,sa arc yet s-vsiine In tho aluaost In.
.ss-.slblc Interior pastures Of our new rcA.
l-ss,ons. VIC ho,- the s;ory u,sv prove 10
rra ID ma
yet h. on ~shin.tLon IN our meaaxrrtes. Our
t-rliof is no; .;r"us IN that dirvctioa. how.
: or. though when ono ha. scou thu ocso-
pus. or ac,h n.h. hrs, brparht into proai.
ncncc by Victor liasp. he IL prepared 10 BE-
.ic,c aiuics, any thing. Tho choice would
no; bo = pheasant osc. bs, in tho altsruar
Tive of beng Biiiru by nasA or masnba, o.
u being ,ppp,j 10 death By an octopus, we
think moot Icrsoss would choose The for.
'ncr.
fskAs Ia. fH~~