New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-07-22
SNAKE CATCHING.
THE VENOM OF VIPERS AND CoBRAS
FOR HIS EXPERIMENTS
rom The Cornhin Macazine.

FOR HIS EXPERIMENTS
From The Cornhin Magazine
The country around Delhi. with its hot and
humid climate, its rocky ridges and numerous
ruins relics OF bygOne glory, is as wei fitted
perhaps as any in India for the habitat of
Cphidi2 Of all kinds. To those who know
when, where and how TO catch them like the
Tanarkahle man Of whose daring exploits with
poisonous snakes ! about To give some
description, quite easy and honest liveIi-
hood is 10 be made. and it is surprising that
Delhi should have become the home of many a
professional snake catcher
With view TO procuring snake venom for
Professor Calmette, Major Dennys employed at
monthly wage OF IT, the master snake catcher
Of the district, low bred Mahomctan OF the
lame of kGllan. For this small pay Kullan
undertook 10 supply the doctor with about one
hundred living YenOmous snakes weekly, and
10 extract their venom from them.
hulian was a powerfully built little man.
aged about thirty years. His name was
well known in the neiShborhood for his skill
and daring in the profession Of his adoption
Il was generally supposed that he possessed
some kl1d OF magic powers over the reptiles
that he handled daily and from the capture of
which he earned his precarious livelihood.
room was specially fitted up the hos
pital for the purpose of these experiments
The floor was Of polished Portland cement.
This was considered an essential, as the pol
isned surface which the snakes were placed
rendered them extraordinarily helpless. and
abiec The snake catcher TO handle some of them
in manner that he would not have dared TO
CO "th-.HlSe. Snakes are scarcely able to
make any progress or polished surface.
a sACKFUL OF vIPERs
on the particular day when I was first intro
Cueec TO hui!an and his methods the doctor
ordered the three snake catchers to bring their
crawling burdens into the laboratory. kuilan
headed the procession, carrying over his
shoulder an ordinary canvas sack which was
literally heavlng and sWaying about with the
movements OF some sixty or eighty vipers which
were confined therein. The TWO other men
carried several small ''gharas." or earthen pots
tnelT mouths beng closed by pieces Of rag tied
over them. These 'ghaTas" each contained
tao three and sometimes many as four
snakes, either cobras or keraits.
i seemed almost incredible that the three
men who now sat in the laboratory, surrounded
-ly about a hundred YenomOus snakes. had
really been able TO catch them all alive during
adsne.
ssaMsjor Dennys was anxious to satisfy him
sesf on this point. and said: If the process Of
catching wild snakes is such an easy matter.
Kullan. would you he willing TO take me or one
Of these sahibs with you some morning and
show Us how you do it?'
kullan hesitated for moment
Your Honor thinks breed these snakes?
Sahibs have often charged me with that before
but Your Honor is welcome to come to home
and search the place, and, if he finds any signs
Of what he suspects put US into prison, sahib.
IRIS humble one assures Your Honor that snakes
cannot Ice bred in ca ptivity. In years gone by
this slave kept a number Of cObras and other
snakes with hope OF being able to breed them,
bur II was a failure They are too tirid and
be has never succeeded in breeding them in
captivity. Your slave admits that he has some
times taken cobras eggs and kept them till they
Matched. He has also kept in captivity a
female viper who appeared heavy with young
After q time she presented your slave with
eleven young ones. and he got the reward
for twelve vipers instead of one. But this is
quite q different thing from breeding snakes,
gahib."
But" said the doctor in a conciliatory tone,
y have no wish TO prevent your earning your
living by catching snakes. If you do not breed
them, and are able TO catch them as you assert,
700 have a perfect right to the rewards you
receive and ! viii help you by making it
known TO district officers that there is doubt
that you do not breed them. But you must
let satisfy myself first that you catch them
Is you say you do"
Very well, sahib" said Kullan, IF you are
prepared to come with this humble some
morning he viii show Your Honor how he
catches snakes
A SNAKE HUNT.
A short time after this Kullan demonstrated
in the most unmistakable manner his marvel
Ious power of finding snakes in their natural
homes Major Dennys told Kullan to meet
him a given morning at the hospital and
company MIN a spot previously unknown to
the snake man. The doctor then took him to
the Delhi jail garden and set him to work 10 try
10 ind Yenomous snakes.
KuIlan smiled a grin of satisfaction when he
realized what before him He admitted
before he commenced his work that he had
poached this very garden for snakes some
years ago and that he had made a great bag;
but he had been caught trespassing by a Jail
Ra-der and chastiseG, hence he had not been
there again.
The man then set TO work followed by a little
only He first approached orchard OF lime
he with small