SERPENT WORSHIP, ' CHARMING^ ETC. 525 



Arabs, the Nubians, Egyptians, and other nations seek to 

 procure immunity from snake - bite by the use of certain 

 plants, of which the Aristolochias seem to be most frequent. 

 The juice or a decoction is drunk, the root chewed, and an 

 infusion used for washing the skin. The South American 

 Indians are said to be able thus to protect themselves ; and 

 we have the high authority of Humboldt in support of the 

 theory that the famous huaco, and other poisonous plants 

 with which they inoculate themselves, may impart an odour 

 to their bodies which is repugnant to the snakes. 



It would be well to obtain definite information as to what 

 the ' snake-weed ' of Schliemann was, botanically. It is also 

 important to ascertain the species of ' viper ' that is there so 

 abundant ; then there would be a basis for investigation. 

 The testimony of a traveller like Schliemann is not to be 

 disregarded. Besides him, Livingstone, P. H. Gosse, and 

 others have affirmed the same thing, viz. the existence of 

 antidotal plants, but which, in the hands of science, seem 

 never to disclose their virtues ! 



As a part of the present subject comes a serpent's supposed 

 love of ' music,' and on this head again the evidence is contra- 

 dictory. Setting aside the idea of * music,' in the way of 

 melody or harmony, we may be able to arrive at a clue to 

 the undeniable fact that snakes do exhibit some conscious- 

 ness of noise, * Music,' properly so called, is certainly very 

 far removed from the gourd-rapping and tum-tumming of 

 the Oriental jugglers ; yet the snakes display a consciousness 

 of these uncouth sounds. Mr. Mann affirmed that Cleo 

 and his other pet boas manifested undoubted feeling — let 

 us call it consciousness — when the piano was being 



