DO SNAKES FASCINATE THEIR VICTIMS? 69 



looking eye, slight increase in temperature, and restlessness. 

 At 4.80 p.m., when the house was shut up from visitors, 

 four nice-sized ducks were put into the cage. They fluttered 

 and scrambled about at first, but this was no doubt in con- 

 sequence of being released from their hamper and the 

 strangeness of the place. The cage is about four yards long, 

 and the ducks were put in at the end farthest from where 

 the snake was. He raised up his head, showing his buff- 

 xioloured throat and neck, opened his mouth, and in a 

 moment made a dash at one of the ducks, and seized it by 

 its head. At the same time he rolled his body about in a 

 -strange vermicular manner, and most adroitly entangled 

 another duck in his coils, and nearly succeeded in grasping 

 a third. The Python then remained quiet, and we con- 

 cluded he Avas slowly absorbing number one duck, as we 

 could see only a portion of one wing. Number two was 

 encoiled, but, presently pushing his head out from the coils, 

 did not seem at all uncomfortable, certainly not alarmed, 

 and not fascinated, for he moved his head about. 



We waited ten minutes, and then, as there seemed no 

 change, we opened the cage door close to the snake, and 

 stirred him up with a stick. Presently he raised his head 

 up out of his coils, and we saw that he had released number 

 one from his mouth, evidently quite content to keep his 

 prey close at hand to be enjoyed at his leisure. By stirring 

 the Python up, we released number two from the coils a 

 little, so much so that he got his head and neck free, and 

 his beak came close to the glass of the cage, and for some 

 minutes I could watch the expression of his eyes. He 

 breathed occasionally, moved his head about slightly, and 

 even in this predicament did not seem to show the slightest 

 -alarm. After waiting about five minutes more, we drove 

 the other two dacks towards the snake. He raised up his 



