Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-07-22

dia, says the Philadelphia Times. They
are of the kind known to the naturalist
as the Naia hungara, sometimes called
ophcophaguS which means snake eat
err They are found largely in India,
though" said Superintendent BrGwn,
they abound III LuZnn and are probably
one of the best known products of our
new colonial possessions. What the saw
age of the Pacific islands is TO his fellow
man the cobra is TO other snakes. But,
unlike the cannibal. he will eat nothing
else than snakes. This was instanced in
the voyage over.
In the cage in which the zoos snakes
travelled were ii other snakes, all cabras,
some small, some large The sailor who
tended the cage WAS instructed 10 give
their snakeships fresh chicken or rabbit
each day. The third day out he noticed
there were four snakes missing. He said
nothing to the captain, however. fearing
he shoHid be accused of neglect. lie eX-
amined the cage carefully but coui,! fad
no sign of hole by which they might
have escaped. The fourth day there We're
five less in the cage, and, becoming thor
oughly alarmed. he told the captain. who
instituted a search throughout the ship,
but the missing snakes We're not found
The next morning, on going to feed the
reptiles. the sailor was just III time TO see
the tail of one of them disappear down
the throat of the largest cobra. There
were but five left in the cage.
To save these all from extinction the
two large ones We're separated from the
rest, and there seemed TO be harmony IN
both camps for the rest of the voyage.
When, however, the big ones We're re-
moved from their cage upon their arrival
here, one of them struck viciously at Mr..
Carson, the assistant superintendent, who
was standing near, and he narrowly es-
capped death. Since their arrival both
snakes have refused to eat, even declin-
ing Il tempting pine snake which was Of
fered them Their desire seems to be
that one should overcome the other, and
it is thought that had such been the re
suit of the battle there would now
be but one cobra in the ZOO
The larger cobra has history. Last
fall Captain Lawrence st. Leger of the
Eighth Royal fusileers was up at Nag
pur. town about $50 miles from Calcut-
ia, shooting with party of friends. One
day the party halted at little village
excitement. On inquiry he found that a
large serpent had taken possession of a
hut. after driving out the owners. and
that it had struck. with fatal aim, a child
about 4 years old The body of the child
was exposed in a hut near by, and the
mother was frantic with grief. Captain
st. Leger. II man of sportsmanlike no.
tions. conceived the idea of capturing the
reptile and adding the stuffed skin to his
collection. He had some difficulty in car
rying out his plans, however, for the ma
tives, stricken with fear, had fed from
the neighborhood of the hut and could
hardly be induced to give assistance. FL
naliy. upon The offer of a large reward,
two brave young fellows offered to help
him. One of them was a noted runner,
while the other was the village Sandow
and could lift an OK.
The runner, whose name was Mahab
Singh, was to stand before the door and
worry the snake into coming out, the
pther, who enjoyed the appellation OF
Ramah Putab. was to do the rest. When
all was ready. st. Leger posted his two
men and stood by to await the result
The runner approached the door, armed
with Il long lance. The other man stood
by the side of the door. Mahab entered
and found the reptile coiled up in a cor
ner, apparently asleep. No sooner, how
ever, had he prodded it with his lance
than the coils unwound. and the cobra
made dar1 at him. But be was at
safe distance and ran out of the door,
the snake following. He purposely ran
in a zigzag course, and the reptile follow
ed his motions In the meantime the
other man pursued the snake. He soon
caught up with it, aud, graspin2 it firm
ly by the tail. he braced himself and
swung it around above his head until
the reptile was reduced to condition of
partial unconsciousness