New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-12
ANIMAL FASCINATION.
ARE NOT THE ONLY CREATURES
THAT EXERCIsE IT
From The Spectator.

From The Spectator.
Commenting on the instance Of apparent fas-
cinatOn in peacock stalked by leopard. de-
scri5ed in The Spectator" OF February IS a
correspondent says: About five miles from
Port Elizabeth. Natal when out shooting.
an instance Of the complete paralysis OF
bird by snake and though the word fascina-
ton commonly used for this kind of eff
feet without contact is perhaps wrongly en-
ployed the case was a good example of what is
usually meant by the term. our attention was
first attracted by something moving on the
branch of q tree. about ten feet above the
ground We then saw it was Cape cobra, Of
the deadly kind. standing erect with only the
lowest coils OF its tail around the branch. with
its hood expanded. and swaying from side TO
side On going nearer we saw, what we had
not noticed before. a pigeon sitting on the
branch about yard from the snake. 1t was
perfectly mOtionless not crouched on the bough
but standing up. and made not the slightest at
tempt to fly away. We shot the snake but
neither the fall Of the creature nor the report
seemed to 'unfreeze' the pigeon at first Then
1t did not fly but slowly walked along the bough
into the centre Of the tree where ! suppose it
remained until it had recovered from the shock
to its nerves"
The above is authentic and a very uncommon
instance OF what is generally understood by the
popular belief in the power Of serpents to exer-
else this influence their prey. But it is posi-
BILE. in this case, that the bird had been
already slightly bitten by the cobra, and that
the paralysis may have been physical and not
nervous. This idea ala not occur TO the witness
Of the scene. and he did not wait TO see whether
the pigeon ultimately recovered. Its partial re-
cOyeTy when the snake was shot he did
r. is probable. there are occasional in
stances Of suspension Of faculties caused by the
sudden appearance Of so deadly a foe the
snake, they can he accounted for. step by step
by a natural process OF emotion and results But
before endeaVOring to trace the degrees Of such
suspension Of the natural impulses Of flight and
escape, ii is We'll TO state that cases. even Of
apparent fascination, are uncommon. and con-
fined to a very few creatures on which snakes
feed. The frogs ducks and mice on which vari
Gus serpents at the ZOO fed said usually
to show fear at all, and duck viii walk
over the pythOn's coils and quack before the
creature moves its head TO seize it. Rabbits
which are paralyzed with fear. and in a sense
Fascinated" by the stOat. seem insensible to
danger from the serpent That. however. may
we'll be because the rabbits have had no expert
ence OF large serpentS. In India there is at
least one rat which goes in such fear Of its life
from them that il blocks up its hole with stones
when at home it is thought, to keep them
out.
The creatures which said to be the usual
objects Of fascination by snakes birds and
monkeys. In this selection common belief has
probability on its side because both small birds
and monkeys are intensely emotional quick and
sensitive creatures. Moreover. they have for all
time been the prey OF tTee-climbins snakes. Mr..