Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-12-29

THE moNoooss.
u Wlsss q Msreiisss War On ShO
OOadllost Snakes.

Dsadiisst Snakes.
A recent distinguished arrival in
this country was mongoose, import.
ed by Mr.. o. II. P. Belmont. The
mongoose Is called distinguished adj.
visedly, because he is distinguished
above all other animals for his cour-
age in fighting snakes. He Is various.
~ called mongoose, moongus and
ichneumon. The last name is q Greek
word, meaning trucker. It was
given because this little animal b o
tracker OF snakes.
Various animals IRE known as enc.
mics Of snakes. In South America
the peccary or wild hog, kills them
frequently. The secretary bird, the
adjutant and several members Of the
stork family have a rooted antipathy
to snakes. The deer occasionally at.
tacks a snake. But none Of these
hunts the dreaded reptiles as the
mongoose does.
In appearance he Is not unlike q
weasel. He Is thin, ard has long,
pointed nose and bright piercing eyes
and sharp, piercing teeth. He meas.
ures about two feet In length. includ-
Ing his tail, which Is long. He varies
In color from grey to brown. His
expression Is one Of habitual alert
ness.
He Is a gentle animal to look at,
but cats and dogs who have proposed
to have fun with him have been pain.
fully surprised by his fighting quail
ties.
In q state Of nature he resides In q
burrow. His habits are nocturnal,
not more SO than those Of the cat.
He has a pleasing habit Of stand
Ing on his hind legs to look at the
scenery. and things In general. He
looks cxpertly round about him, like
. sailor scanning the horizon. It ID
bad for snakes health to be In sight
Of such o moment.
The mortality among human beings
from snake-bite In India Is very great.
No reptile contributes to II more
than the dreaded cobra dl capello,
which IL probably the deadliest OF oil
snakes. 1t IL fond Of taking refuge
In and near the habitations Of man,
wherein II compares very unfavorably
with the American rattlesnake. A
drainpipe and q bathtub are favorits
resorts with the cobra. It IL not ap-
parently aggressive, but where u
abounds accidents are sure "a
happen.
The mongoose will also como and
take up his residence in the garden
Of q house. But II caught young, he
can DO domesticated, and Is al
sociable ms cat. The advantage Of
tanning him Is that he can DO taught
to turn his attention exclusively to
cats and vermin and to eschew poul-
try.
Fights have frequently been arran.
gcd between mongooses and cobras,
the combatants being put In cages In
order that they might be watched
with ease and safety. The mongooss
was invariably tho victor.
The natives OF India allcge that
when the mongoose gets bitten by q
snake he goes and chews an herb
which Is an antidote for tho poison,
but that Is probably fiction. 1t has
also been asserted that tho mongoose
enjoys a constitutional immunity
from the effects OF snake-bite. But
there Is good reason to believe that
he avoids death only by avoiding
bites.
II the mongoose comes upon the
snake unawares he jumps on 1t and
kills 1t on the spot. His favorite way
OF dealing death IL to bite into the
base Of the reptiles brain. This
method has the advantage OF depriv.
ing tho snake OF tho use Of It's jaws
while 1t Is being killed.
When the snake perccivcs ito
enemy 1t naturally puts itself into
fighting attitude. It coils itself and
raises It's head to strike. Tho mon.
goose stands for u moment sideways
before tho snake which strikes, but
the mongoose has gone before the
fangs can touch him. At tho same
time he inficts a bite somewhere In
the outstretched body OF tho snake,
which, In that position, Is helpless.
In Gn instant the snake II coiled again
to strike. The first round Is repeat
cd, and so the fight goes on. II may
last for half IN hour or more. At last
tho snake, tired and weakened by
bites, does not recoil itself quickly
enough, tho mongoose pounces on its
head and the fight Is over.
When hungry u mongooso will cat
q snake, but not otherwise.-[ New
York World.