Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-04-22
mINIasiHRHSaE Ilsassss 80.
COBRA AND lIONGOOSE
a.CEAolY HATRED EXISTS RETWsEN
THESE CREATURES.

i2e AcsiTS Little SSSG.SpSG Is Al
aic1t Arrays ti.e AE.zezso< and AZ
Generally tne IietSr-EaSopeaas IA
Inai. DO Not Fear shc CobTa.
On the very first morning. as the
tourist tiopS down in his long armchair
on say, the elevated yeranda of the
Espianade hotel. Bombay, he will find
the inevitable juggler appealing to him
with upiifted eyes. accompanied By his
bag, his basket and the other parapher
laiia OF his craft. and. though the man
80 growing trick may be more mystic
rious, the fight between the cobra ana
the mongoose will be more interesting.
The Unborn mutual hatred between
these creatures must be supposed to
serve some purpose in the wise econo-
my of nature. and set would look very
strange did we not know that silniiHr
ayersions exist between other more
familiar creatures, anu for some rea
sons not always apparent. Irrespective
of the danger of it. why does the mon
goose attack the cobra: A live mon
goose is said never to touch dead
cobrn In the way of food. and the bris
thy carcass of mongoose is probably
too tough for even the capacious diges
ton Of his natural adversary. We can
only account for it, theretose, on tie
same principle that the best bred game
dogs will not touch the flesh of the
quarry that they are so fond OF hunt
ing.
The active little mongoose is almost
always the uggressor, for the compar-
adveiy awkward cobra. unless he got
him asleep, would probably never think
of attaching lis more nimble opponent,
and il is generally the mongOose that
is victor III these encounters. Though
the cobra rears his head expands his
hood umbrella-like to the utmost and
Kisses viciously, his dabs at the enemy
seem misdiectei aud aimless, for the
willy moDgoose suddenly becomes dou-
bic his natural size by the erection of
his tough, bristiy coat in a way that
seems quite 10 deceive even the wise
serpent as to what may be bristles and
what not. 1t is only just to say for
the cobra, though. that if his fangs
were NOT extracted CT the poison glands
destroyed 4 successful chance peck
would soon finish the mongoose in spite
of his activity.
The natural luminosity is no doubt
greatly toned down la the specimens
possessed by the jugglers. Familiarity
breeds tolerance. if not contempt, on
both sides. so that they must attack
one another With less ferociry than in
their natural Wild condition and must
often laugh in rhcir sleeves when the
farce is over.
had the good or bad luck to come
across many cobrns here aud there, the
most of which killed. Indeed, there
is little to fear from cobra in the
open. If you do not attack him he is
not likely 10 attack you unless he takes
1t into his head that you are going 10
tread on the tail OF his coat Ii is a
popular delusion that cobra, after
reaiing himself, can jump at the enc
my. This he is quite unable TO TO- for
the motion of the head is along the are
OF circle of which the radius extends
from the hend TO the part of the SER
pent touching tile ground.
On one occasion during the war in
upper Burma, when resting on a small
tent bed OF an eighty pound service
tent, saw cobra walking stealrhily
into my paflor, as the spider would
say 10 tie fly, through the open door.
say walking" ativisedly. because
serpents TO actually walk on the end
of their ribs instead OF wriggling along
after the fashion Of worms. The pres
ence of this snake naturally created
quite nasty feeling, with such mar
row compass TO move about in, but tina
snake did not get Out alive.
There are such incredible stories in
vented about cobras in India and SO
exrravagant, TOO, that one hesitates to
mention ones own more modest,
though truthful, experiences, as not
quite thrilling enough TO be placed Oh
record.
My own most creepy sensation was
at an UP country station in India.
had newly arrived there from Burma
and was writing at nighttime on one
OF the usual kinds of writing desks,
with drawers on each SIDE and an
empty interval below and between, the
desk being. ms usual. placed against
one of the walls Of the room.
j was dressed. moreover, in thin, hot
weather clothing, and therefore partic-
ularly vulnerable TO the bites of
snakes. My legs were in the empty
space beneath the lid and in the inter
val between the drawers OH either
side. But what was it that suddenly
observed creeping round from the END
of the table to my right and going into
the hollow almost in touch with my
right foot? 1t was vile cobra. /
could not jump away on account of the
position in which was placed.
at once realized that to move IN any
way would probably rouse the serpent
Immediately to rear and strike. AT
any rate, whether 1t was by calm cal
culation or that was too petrified with
horror tn move nnvor did IDnTp 81