14 * INTRODUCTION, 



mind by publishing accounts of his visit, affirming that 

 not one of the snakes was venomous, but, on the contrary, 

 were charmingly interesting and as tame as kittens. The 

 testimony of so popular an authority served not only to 

 allay local terrors, but to modify the sentence that might 

 otherwise have been passed on the ophiophilist, who was 

 merely cautioned by the honourable judge to keep his pets 

 within due bounds. 



After this, Mr. and Mrs. Mann and their domesticated 

 ophidians held daily receptions. I was invited to see them, 

 and in company with a clerical friend repaired to Chelsea. 

 It was the first family party of snakes I had ever joined, and 

 I must confess to considerable fluctuations of courage as w-e 

 knocked at the door. Nor could one quite divest oneself of 

 apprehension lest the boa-constrictors to which we were intro- 

 duced should suddenly make a spring and constrict us into a 

 pulp. But they didn't. On the contrary, towards ourselves 

 they were disappointingly undemonstrative, and only evinced 

 their consciousness of the presence of strangers by entwining 

 themselves about the members of the family, as if soliciting 

 their protection. They were very jealous of each other, 

 Mr. Mann said; jealous also of other company, as if unwilling 

 to lose their share of attention. There were half-a-dozen or 

 more snakes — viz., several boas, of whom * Cleo,' or Cleopatra, 

 has become historical ; two or three lacertine snakes from 

 North Africa ; and a common English snake. The smaller 

 ones were regaled on frogs for our special edification. 

 At that time I had never been to the Reptilium at the 

 Zoological Gardens on feeding days, and when Mr. Mann 

 permitted a frog to hop about the table^ and we saw 



