THE TAIL OF A SNAKE. i8i 



Many writers and observers, in describing this power or 

 force in the snake, have given rise to the idea that snakes 

 can sta7id on their tails. Erect themselves nearly upright 

 they certainly do, even without extraneous support for a few 

 moments, and with support for a considerable time. 



Cobras can do this. A personal friend, Colonel C , 



when in India, once heard a sort of muffled sound at his 

 door, which caused him to open it suddenly, when a 

 cobra, which had raised itself three or more feet against 

 it, fell straight into the room. He sprang quickly aside, 

 and ran to fetch a stick, but when he got back the cobra 

 was gone. 



But to return to their prehensile powers. Snakes which 

 are not habitual climbers are often found in trees, suspend- 

 ing themselves from or supporting themselves upon the 

 branches, as instanced in the chapter on the egg-eaters. 

 The Hamadryad is also much in trees, as its name 

 implies, and is seen, hanging from the branches. This 

 latter, and also the Indian tree snakes, Trimeresiiri, are 

 poisonous, and far removed from the boas with the 

 true prehensile tail. Familiar to every one are illustra- 

 tions of tropical scenery, in which the boa constrictor 

 and the anaconda, hanging from trees, are important 

 features. Dumeril, in general terms, says: *Les ophidiens 

 rampent, glissent, s'accrochent, se suspendent, gravissent 

 en s'aidant de la totalite de leur corps, sautent, s'elancent, 

 bondlssent, nagent, et plongent,' ^ in every one of which 

 movements the tail is an important agent. Saccrocher and 

 se siispeudre must be mainly by the agency of the tail. 



* Erpctologie gencraky tome i. p. 47. 



