NOTES ON THE SCOTTISH ADDER 219 



Adder crossing the loch came quite near the boat. It after- 

 wards passed within a short distance of another boat, and the 

 gentleman in it proposed, by way of a joke, to cast his flies 

 over and catch it, on which the old gillie got very excited, 

 and threatened to jump overboard if the " Serpent " was 

 brought into the boat ! I cannot say whether or not the 

 Adder swallows its young when alarmed, but I am able to 

 state that in India a large snake sometimes swallows a 

 smaller one of the same species. On one occasion the writer 

 got together in Madras a collection of Cobras, to be sent to 

 the Zoo in London, but unfortunately they never got there, 

 as it was found impossible to get the captain of any ship 

 persuaded to carry them, although they were secured in such 

 a way as to render escape from the cage in which they were 

 confined impossible. While the Cobras were in confinement 

 near my quarters, the gardeners who looked after them 

 several times told me that a big Cobra was in the habit of 

 swallowing a small one, and that as the latter made itself 

 disagreeable to its captor, it was speedily ejected again and 

 was apparently none the worse of the adventure. This story 

 I refused to believe, until on a Sunday afternoon, when 

 sitting quietly at home, a gardener came and reported that 

 the big Cobra had been at its old trick again, and that if I 

 came quickly I would see the tail of the prisoner protruding 

 out of the mouth of its ravenous neighbour. On reaching 

 the cage the report was found to be correct, and sure enough 

 in due course the smaller Cobra was restored to light and 

 liberty. There is no desire to found any theory on this 

 occurrence, but merely to record the plain facts. In catching 

 a venomous snake, the professional Indian " Snake-charmer" 

 plants the end of a stick on its head, and then instantly 

 seizes its neck close to the head and lifts the snake bodily 

 off the ground. This accomplished, it is usually confined in 

 a small circular basket. If it is to be kept for display or 

 conjuring tricks, the poison-fangs are at once extracted, but as 

 they soon grow again, this operation has to be repeated from 

 time to time. The Canarese gardeners in western Mysore 

 are fond of eating snakes, and they catch them by seizing 

 the tail. This done, the man begins to run swinging the 

 snake round his head with such velocity that it cannot 



