68 . DO SNAKES FASCINATE THEIR VICTIMS ? 



have been regarded with awe and superstition. We have 

 marked evidence of this in the marvellous properties 

 assigned to them, in the very names of them, and in the 

 history of the basilisk itself, which was supposed to be 

 hatched by a serpent from an egg laid by a cock. We see 

 exaggerations again in the recorded size of snakes connected 

 with ancient history, and in many other wonderful stories,. 

 which are too many and too long to be discussed in this 

 abstract. 



I will now pass on to relate observations made by myself,, 

 either alone or in the presence of friends. First of all, then, 

 I will summarize some general observations which I have 

 made extending over several years, and which first of all 

 gave me the cue, so to speak, of beginning to question the 

 marvellous powers of fascination which have been attributed 

 to snakes. Thus I have on many occasions seen rabbits and 

 fowls put into the cage with the Python, when he was " on 

 his feed.'^ Bunnie has gone about in a most unsuspecting' 

 manner, poking his nose at the snake, and the serpent in 

 his turn put out his head and project his forked tongue at 

 the rabbit. I have seen one rabbit resting on the body of 

 the recumbent snake, and another hopping about over him, 

 A note I made more than a year ago is to this effect : " I 

 have seen a couple of fowls strutting about in the Python's, 

 den without evincing the slightest alarm, and I can quite 

 imagine a young cockerel saluting the morning perched on 

 the body of his rapacious enemy." Next I wish to refer to 

 and describe, more or less minutely in some instances, more 

 particular observations. 



On Wednesday, January 19th, 1888, the large Python in 

 our " Zoo " was said by the keeper to be " on his feed." 

 We had kept him without food for several days after he 

 showed signs of hunger, such as brightness of his stony- 



