520 SNAKES. 



secure that as above, is another method adopted ; or, again, 

 to seize the tail and pass the hand swiftly along the body till 

 the head is reached, and t/ieii grasp the neck. These are 

 among the various ways of handling poisonous serpents, 

 according to the purposes required of them. Every move- 

 ment must be carefully watched, however, and the head not 

 released until the entire snake is free to be returned straight 

 into its cage. Even vv'ild and vicious cobras are thus 

 fearlessly dealt with by experts ; and those which are in 

 process of taming are put through a daily training. They 

 are made comfortable in a basket, conciliated with food 

 and milk, soothed by softly stroking them with a brush and 

 by kind and gentle handling. 



I once stood by and looked on while the keeper unpacked 

 a box of cobras. He took each one out by its tail, and 

 dropped it into another box with such expedition that the 

 fearful reptile had not time to turn and bite him. Not that 

 he ventured to lower his hand into the midst of the writhincr 

 angry tangle of snakes, but first, at a respectful distance (the 

 writer still more deferentially contemplating the transfer 

 from afar), he, with a long-handled hook, contrived to draw 

 out a snake tail first, and getting the tip over the edge of the 

 box, this he seized, thus, one after the other, shifting eight of 

 the dozen cobras. Both boxes had lids, of course — glass 

 slides, which were cautiously but quickly drawn aside, and as 

 sharply closed again.i These deadly reptiles, after being 

 some weeks, perhaps months, in a small close box, were not, 

 as may be supposed, in a very lively condition, but 

 sufficiently so to erect themselves and hiss like a flock of 



^ Times, ist July 1875, paper by C. C. H. Jlnd. 7th July. 



