298 REPTILES OF THE WORLD 



the cage, placed in a bag and carried to the room, where 

 it was liberated on the floor about six feet from the box. 

 For a moment it dilated its hood and assumed the fight- 

 ing posture, when, as usual with Cobras suddenly trans- 

 ported to strange surroundings, dropped to the ground 

 and began gliding about to discover a place of retreat. 

 The box was moved slightly to attract the snake's atten- 

 tion to it and the result awaited. It will be appreciated 

 that this box oj)ened at the top by means of a sliding lid 

 so that the snake as it glided about the floor could see no 

 opening. At the slight movement of the box the snake 

 changed its course and made directly for it. A bright 

 colored cloth was fluttered in its path at which it rose and 

 struck promptly. Persistently continuing its course 

 toward the box it reached this, reared the head and neck 

 over the top and in a fashion characteristic of the lively 

 asp, literally flung itself into the hiding place, its tail 

 striking the wooden side of the box with a slap like that 

 of a whip's end. This test was convincing enough to the 

 writer to demonstrate substantial reasoning power, but 

 to prove it to be not mere accidental wandering of the 

 reptile it was repeated, again and again, with the same 

 result. A dozen times, on different days, the snake 

 made for the box, reared upward and glided in from the 

 top. The test showed the reptile to recognize its hiding 

 place, though the box had no openings on the sides that 

 could be seen from the level of the floor on which the 

 Cobra was crawling. 



Similar experiments were tried with snakes of the 

 genus Coluber, Spilotes, Ophibolus and Tripodonotus — 

 all harmless reptiles. They incidentally discovered the 

 box and sought shelter in it when it was placed in the 

 cage, but when in a bare room and annoyed as was the 

 cobra, dashed stupidly about, rooting into corners and 



