76 DO SNAKES FASCINATE THEIR VICTIMS ? 



iserpent's eye." She considers that the curiously vibrating 

 tongue of the snake certainly attracts birds — small birds 

 like sparrows and finches. Some would venture on a close 

 inspection, and remain gazing at it, or even peck at it until 

 -a movement of the snake told them that the motionless 

 object from which that wriggling thing protruded was a 

 living animal. 



Then they might hop away indifferently, happily uncon- 

 scious that what they had perched on as a branch or a log 

 was animated with a hungering after themselves. 



Observation of nature and an inquiry into causes will 

 often present very commonplace reasons for what appears 

 to savour of the marvellous. A snake has just made a 

 meal of some fledglings. The mother bird has witnessed 

 her offspring vanishing by degees, and she frantically 

 hovers over the reptile, fluttering to and fro, and probably 

 uttering cries of distress or enticement, in the hope of 

 her young ones' return. Birds have been observed even 

 endeavouring to rescue a seized fledgling. The naturalist 

 comprehends the reason ; the poet thinks the birds are 

 '' fascinated." 



Dr. Stradling, in Land and Watcv^ April 2nd, 1881, de- 

 scribes a hen that had been placed in an anaconda's cage, 

 making a determined dab at the snake's tongue ; and he 

 comes to the conclusion that she "mistook the tongue for 

 a wriggling worm." 



Mr. Frederick A. Lucas, the Secretary of the " Trenton 

 Natural History Society," regards the " fascination " as 

 being the outcome of " a strong sentiment of excessive re- 

 pugnance, if not of actual horror," which the members of 

 the snake family produce in the human breast. 



However, I think I have trespassed upon your time long 

 enough, and therefore let us summarize. 



