306 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



condition are not so liable to bite, and if they do, there 

 is considerably less danger. 



Well does the Hindoo know that if his cobras become 

 accustomed to handling and teasing, they will "dance" 

 with less energy: so he keeps a supply of fresh and un- 

 disturbed serpents on hand. The cobra's natural atti- 

 tude of defense is, as has been previously explained in 

 detail, a rearing posture with "hood" spread widely. 

 From this position it follows with swaying motions every 

 motion of its aggressor. The Hindoo's swaying body 

 elicits a like motion on the part of the snake, as it alters 

 its position in aiming to strike. Thus is the "dance" 

 explained. The shrill notes of the reed appeal only to 

 the imagination of the spectators and, were the weird 

 intonations to cease, the dance would continue without 

 interruption : for snakes exhibit absolutely no interest in 

 music of anv kind, an unfortunate condition for the 

 writers of romantic stories. 



The Ringhals, Sepedon hcemachates, a South 

 African cobra, differs from the species of Naja in hav- 

 ing strongly-keeled scales. The popular name is that 

 of the Boers and relates to markings on the neck. It 

 is a sooty black serpent, the back crossed by narrow, 

 grayish bands. The abdomen is mostly pitch black. 

 When rearing into a fighting pose, one or two broad 

 white bands may be seen on the under portion of the 

 anterior part of the body — hence the popular name. A 

 five-foot specimen must be considered a large adult. 



Captives are hardy, feeding upon small rodents, birds, 

 eggs and frogs. Their actions are as quick and vicious, 

 while they rear from the ground into the same position 

 as the species of Naja. They are particularly danger- 

 ous from their habit of persistently ejecting fine jets 

 of poison for a distance of six or eight feet, these dan- 



