Year: 1860

came intensely interested in the combat A,


first the rat fought with the greatest caution


hopping from side to side with remarkable agil
ity, and avoiding the poisoned fangs Of The


cobra; at last, however, the snake-which il
the meantime had received many severe bites
|stung bis adversary, and then the rat. apparently
aware that his case was now hopeless, grew reck
less, and closed in with his opponent. In less
than two minutes, it succeeded in killing the
snake, and then crawling aside upon some straw
the victor died, apparently in the greatest agony
| had another Illustration of the enmity exist.
ing between rats and snakes, many wears after.
wards, in Syria. l had sat up late reading the
Times newspaper; the servants had all been il
bed for hours, and when | withdrew to my own,
it wanted only few hours to daylight. AS


closed my bedroom door, / was startled bv a
tussing under the chest of drawers close by. and
the next instant rat darted out, followed by a
huge snake, and these two set to work fighting
right against the door. In my alarm, upset the
chair on which I had placed the candle. and
found myself in total darkness, locked in with 8
snake and a ferocious rat. To jump upon nv
bed was the work of an instant, and loudly did
below for assistance out Of the window. ]
might as well have called to the winds to aid
me. / had neither match nor weapon of de-
fence save a bolster, aud the roprn was so dark
that ! could not distinguish my own hand though
held close to my nose. When the scufling
ceased, | expected every moment to feel the
horrld clammy snake twisting itself around my
legs, and in that unenviable anticipation I re-


mained three long hours, till broad day light re-
leved me OF my tears, and found both com
batants dead before the door.


! have never in all my experience, found
snakes to be the aggressors, unless you get them
1pfn mil nj or V7r.
ing. Then the cobra is indeed terrible, and ]


was chased by one at Techerry for nearly hall


an hour, escaping the brute only by doubling
quickly round till / stumbled over a stout bam-


boo, armed with which soon despatched it


At the best of times, it is nervous work coming


to close quarters with the cobra; the false aim,


and you are dead man. People have notion


that the green snake of India-which is certain


ly pretty specimen if anything in the shape Of


o snake can be pretty--is harmless I can prove


to the contrary. One day saw beautiful


mango bird dangling from bough of a bamboo


bush; the glare was intense, and | wore blue


spectacles, for which reason, perhaps, could not


we'll distinguish the cause Of the phenomenon,


and supposing it to have been trapped by some


vile, seized the bird as great prize, for l was


making collection to bring home with me. In


a second afterwards, the glass of my right-eye


spectacle was shattered to pieces, and hardly


recovered from my amazement, when the snake,


disappointed OF his aim, wriggled off into the


thickest of the bush. The glass saved my eye
and my life, for the poor mango bird was rid
ddled through and through the head from
one eye to the other, and every atom Of brain
had been distracted. They are very dainty
gentlemen, some of these snakes, and [ was
we'll acquainted with one that preferred tur-
keys eggs for his breakfast to any other.
used to watch my turkeys as they strayed about
the grounds, and mark their nests, leaving them


undisturbed until they began to sit. One hen
had fixed upon myrtle-bush round which she


used to futter and scream every day, poking
her stupid looking head out in SO strange fash


ion, that was once induced to watch her. No


sooner had she deposited her egg, than cobra


made its appearance, and with the greatest dex-


terity sucked the egg. With greater wisdom


than the fabled destroyer of the goose and the
golden eggs, the cobra spared the turkey to sup
Iply his dainty breakfast.


But if the reader wishes to study the natural
history OF reptiles to perfection, / recommend
him to live month OF two at Bang kok, in Siam.


He will have the satisfaction, when he wakes of
morning, to see snake peeping out of hole


in each corner of the room, and two or three lit
tie ones amusing themselves at hide-and seek


on the floor If he looks up at the ceiling, he
will perceive specimen of the lizard tribe call


ed the Ioquay-from its peculiar cry--a lizard


that looks as if it was afflicted with the leprosy,


and which has the astonishing faculty of throw
ing itself ten yards across fromone upright wall


to another If he carry his inslination for stu


dy still further, he can investigate the mysteries
OF Sialnese stew, and find alligator the chief
| ingredient. He will find ample opportunity of
collecting out of his soup-plale, tea-cup, wine


glass, or the hair of his head OF from off the back


Of his hand, specimens of the nosquito-fy, ant,


green bug, yulgus earwig, flea, in all the diver
sifed branches of each genus. Nor when the
fatigues of the day are over, hnd he dons his
slippers for ease and comfort, need he be sur
prised to find a scorpion in one and q centipede
in the other, while a colony d white ants are
Investigating the merits of literature in his book
case.-C Chamber Eaan6aw'gb JonNndz