Tombstone epitaph., 1891-03-29
TWO EASTERN SNAKES.
The Cobra Is Good-Natured Hut the Pc.
 longa Is a Bad Neighbor.

The Cobra Is Good-Natured But tho Pc. longa Is a Bad Neighbor.
 From ages past, says awriter in Pop ular Science, the susceptibility of snakes to the influence of music has been fully recognized, and it would be interesting to know how many varieties acknow- ledge its power. JN 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 or spectacled snake, every one has heard of; the latter is not so we'll known out of the island and is a far more deadly and dangerous foe. The natives hold the cobra in the high est estimation and look upon it as the king of snakes-the Tamil name for it being in fact "nulla parmbu," or good snake," and I think it is an admitted fact that it will seldom if ever attack any one unprovoked. I have myself seen cobrae under many circumstances, and although have conscientiously destroyed every one that I have been able to, have no hesitation in saying that they are not dangerous unless dis turbed. In proof of this would quote the case of pair that occupied a hole in clump of oleapders in certain garden for several years. No one ever disturbed them and they stunned them selves where they pleased, and the gar dener rather looked upon them as an additional attraction to the place. They used to eat squirrels, young birds and any thing else that came in their way, but never attempted to do any harm, and remained unmolested as long as knew the place, and probably raised an inter- esting family meanwhile. Unlike the cobra, the tic polonga is always ready to attack on the slightest provocation, and as it inhabits many localities-some being found in shrubs and trees, some in grassy waterways and others in- variably in the vicinity of footpaths- it is more often met with, and is I think, responsible for most of the fatal cases of snakebite that happen from time to time. This difference in the habits of the two 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 silver thread, when tanks were baked hard and brown and wells and water courses were dried up, a prolonga, suffer- ing agonies from thirst and faint from the overpowering heat, met a cobra looking very lively and refreshed. ''Have you found water anywhere?" gasped the polonga. The other said: "Yes." "Where-oh, where is it? Tell me, implore you, for I am dying of thirst" said the prolonga. The cobra replied: ''I can not tell you unless you thing that may be beside the water" "As for that" replied the polonga, q would promise any thing so that might quench this intolerable thirst" And he
 gave a solemn promise. "Well, then,' said the cobra, beyond those bushes is large earthen pan of water, in which child is playing. Go and drink from it, but at your peril do not harm the child" So saying they parted. The cobra, after going little way, began to distrust the prolonga, knowing the lattefS CreacncrOuS 1SpOSlulOn ana rugged temper, and turned to follow him. He arrived too late. The pro- longa had not only drank 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 his force, so violently, indeed, that the infant died in few minutes. The cobra, in hot and fiery indignation, at- tackled the prolonga and punished him severely, biting off piece of his tail. Hence to this day all prolongas have blunt tails. Ever since cobras and prolongas have been at deadly feud. They are the most deadly serpents in Ceylon. When people hate one another mortally they are said proverbially to be like cobra and prolongau