POISON-SNAKES. 



213 



the garden to another, for some minutes stopped 

 at a part of the wall much injured by age, and 

 intimated that a Serpent was within. He then 

 played quicker and his notes were louder, when 

 almost immediately a large Cobra di Capello put 

 forth its hooded head, and the man ran fearlessly 

 to the spot, seized it by the throat, and drew it 

 forth. He then showed the poison-fangs, and 

 beat them out ; afterwards it was taken to the 

 room where his baskets were left, and deposited 

 among the rest." " The snake-charmer," observes 

 the same writer, " applies his pipe to his mouth, 

 and sends forth a few of his peculiar notes, and 

 all the Serpents stop as though enchanted; they 

 then turn towards the musician, and approaching 

 him within two feet, raise their heads from the' 

 ground, and betiding backwards and forwards, 

 keep time with the tune. When he -ceases 

 playing, they drop their heads and remain quiet 

 on the ground." 



The "Penny Magazine" for April 1833, 

 contains the following very precise and circum- 

 stantial narrative, communicated by a gentleman 

 of high station at Madras. "One morning as I 

 sat at breakfast, I heard a loud noise >and shout- 

 ing among my palankeen-bearers. On inquiry, 

 I learned that they had seen a large Hooded 

 Snake, and were trying to kill it. I immediately 

 went out, and saw the Snake creeping up a very 

 high green mound, whence it escaped into a hole 

 in an old wall of an ancient fortification; the men 

 were armed with their sticks, which they always 

 carry in their hands, and had attempted in vain to 

 kill the reptile, which had eluded their pursuit, 

 and in his hole had coiled himself up secure. 



