SNAKES, 173 
sun are often fatal to Snakes. I have lost Snakes, which, owing 
to an oversight, had no shade provided for them during a hot 
day. A very intelligent dealer, from whom I have bought many 
Snakes from time to time, told me, that being away from his place 
of business one very warm summer’s day, a case containing, I 
think, ten beautiful Leopard Snakes (Coluber leopardinus) was by 
inadvertence left exposed to the warm sunshine for some few 
hours, and that nine of the ten Snakes died that day in conse- 
quence. I keep in a conservatory, during the summer months, 
a large Vivarium containing Snakes of different kinds, and I have 
noticed that when the sun shines upon the case, all the Snakes, 
without exception, leave their favourite resting-places upon 
the branches of trees, and retire to the shade provided for 
them. All Reptiles, when in confinement, should be supplied 
with shade. 
I think the general belief that Snakes can be charmed by music 
should be added to the list of fallacies about them. Snakes have * 
no exposed ears, and, seemingly, their powers of hearing, like 
their powers of sight, are very limited. When a piccolo was 
played softly and shrilly before a case containing Snakes, neither 
the music nor the noise made any impression upon them as far 
as I could see, 
ay Probably the so-called dancing to music of the Cobra, for 
instance, is due simply to excitement of some kind, such as 
anger or fear. The Indian and Egyptian Snake-charmers are 
very clever jugglers, and, no doubt, are able to deceive, without 
any difficulty, by far the greater proportion of their observers. 
In those countries where Snakes are common, many a Snake 
story is told round the camp fire or in the tavern, and men may 
be heard gravely asserting that they have only escaped the fury 
of a certain Snake by being mounted on a good horse. The 
Snake in question may be the ‘“ Hoop Snake ” or the Hamadryas. 
The former is said to put its tail in its mouth, so making itself 
into a hoop, and then to bowl itself along at great speed. This, 
of course, no Snake does, nor could do. Though Snakes can 
move with extreme rapidity, they can only maintain their 
celerity for a short distance. This can easily be proved by 
placing some active Snake in the centre of a smooth lawn, and 
