34 



Should it attempt to escape uphill (which is 

 very unlikely) it can be easily captured, as snakes 

 cannot move fast uphill. 



If it is to be kept alive you should capture the 



cobra by pinning it to the ground with your stick 



placed across its body. Another stick should be 



placed across its head (and should it manage to 



wriggle forward it can be drawn back by the tail 



until the head is under the stick). A forked stick 



comes in useful for placing upon the head, but is 



not necessary. Then take the snake firmly behind 



the head, your thumb and finger being on each side 



of the neck, and not above and underneath the 



neck, as the snake could turn its head laterally 



and run its fangs in. This action should be done 



quickly but not hurriedly or nervously. It is a 



good plan, and a great safeguard, to fling a bit of 



cloth into the snake's mouth before taking it 



behind the head. It will at once bite at the stuff, 



and should it slip its head from under the stick at a 



critical moment will be hindered from biting, its 



teeth being caught in the cloth. The fangs may 



be cut off with scissors without injury to the snake, 



if a fangless specimen is preferred, but the old 



fangs will be replaced by new ones in about a 



month's time. 



A forked stick is not of much use to capture a 

 snake with, though it comes in useful afterwards, 

 as it is difficult to pin a snake that is travelling at 

 all fast, and undulating laterally, with a forked 

 stick. 

 Smoking out Driving snakes out of holes by means of 



Snakes. smokc is an unsatisfactory proceeding. It takes a 

 lot of smoke to have any effect on a snake, owing 

 to the latter's large lung capacity. The snake will 

 often die in its hole, especially when sulphur is 

 used. 



On several occasions I have tried ''smoking 



