248 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
desired. Then the charming begins and the snake is discovered. 
These snake charmers often have allies who place a snake in the 
spot required prior to the advent of the charmer. 
When a snake charmer is kept under careful and close scrutiny, 
these snake-charming operations fail. A gentleman tells how 
he detected one of these men. Raising a great noise he declared 
to his Indian servants that a Cobra was in his study. He sent a 
messenger to the village snake charmer to come immediately and 
charm out the snake. He arrived in due time and began opera- 
tions by playing upon his pipes at intervals, and poking about 
amongst the furniture. Suddenly he began playing vigorously 
in a corner of the room, near some bundles of books and magazines 
on the floor. From amongst them the head and neck of a Cobra 
reared itself. The gentleman advanced and flourished a stick, 
pretending he was anxious to kill the reptile. The charmer 
interfered and barred the way, declaring that he wanted to capture 
the snake and keep it alive. He was firm in his refusal to permit 
the gentleman to advance. Then, stooping down, he began 
blowing his pipes again, and the instant the Cobra reared he seized 
and transferred it to a bag amidst the horrified exclamations of 
the Indian servants. Needless to say the alarm was a bogus one. 
The snake was one which had been secretly dropped by the 
charmer when he was fussing about the room on his hands and 
knees. 
When one becomes familiar with the habits and ways of snakes, 
and if due care is exercised in handling them, there is little real 
risk of being bitten. For twenty years past I have freely handled 
snakes, and have only been bitten a few times, but the bites have 
never been full ones. Naturally one is apt to become careless 
when frequently handling snakes, and so reasonable precautions 
are neglected. 
To those more or less unacquainted with snakes, these reptiles 
are regarded with extreme horror, and the most ludicrous beliefs 
are entertained in regard to them; so much so, that any one 
handling venomous snakes freely, and apparently in a careless 
way, is thought either to exercise some hypnotic power over the 
creatures, or else he is taking appalling risks. Snake charmers, 
knowing this, take advantage of it. The traditional love of 
serpents for music is a myth. The only effect music has is to 
frighten, irritate, or excite the curiosity of snakes. A snake will 
