NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 181 
The box was left in the cage for a week, until the snake became 
thoroughly familiar with it. An opportunity was then awaited 
of finding the snake prowling about the cage, when the box was 
taken out, and placed in the center of a room about twelve feet 
square. The Cobra was then taken from its cage, dropped into a 
bag, and carried to the room, where it was placed on the floor 
about six feet from the box. For a moment it dilated its hood, 
and assumed a fighting posture, but as usual with cobras trans- 
ported to strange surroundings, dropped to the floor and began 
gliding about to discover an avenue of escape. The box was 
moved slightly, to attract the snake’s attention to it, and the result 
awaited. It will be remembered that the box opened at the top, 
with a sliding lid; and as the snake observed it on the floor, it 
presented no means of entrance or shelter. 
Upon the slight movement of the box, the reptile changed its 
course and made directly for it. A bright-colored cloth .was 
waved in its path, at which it rose and struck viciously. Promptly 
continuing its course toward the box, it reached it, raised its head 
and neck over the top, and in the manner characteristic of the 
eccentric Asp, literally flung itself into the receptacle. 
This test was convincing, but to prove whether it might not 
have been an accidental wandering of the snake, it was repeated. 
For fully a dozen successive times, the same occurrence was 
observed. It demonstrated that the reptile recognized and appre- 
ciated its hiding place, although the box possessed no openings on 
the sides, and could be entered only through the top. 
This same experiment was tried with a Chicken Snake (Colu- 
ber quadrivittatus ) ; an Indigo Snake (Spilotes corais coupert) ; 
a King Snake (Ophibolus getulus), and a Water Snake (Tropi- 
donotus fasciatus). All these serpents persistently sought shelter 
in the box, so long as it remained within their cage; but when 
annoyed, as was the Cobra, they dashed stupidly about the room, 
rooting into dark corners and endeavoring to escape, but never 
succeeding in finding the real hiding-place, even though they fre- 
quently passed in close proximity to it. 
Experiment No. 2; Cobra-de-Capello (N. tripudians).—This 
test emanated from the actions of a large Cobra that was regu- 
larly taken from its cage for the treatment of an abscess.* With 
a bamboo stick, Keeper Snyder removed the snake from its cage, 
and placed the reptile upon the floor, where he pinned its head 
down firmly by holding the stick across it. Afterward the ser- 
*The lesion was entirely cured after treatment lasting three months, during 
which time the reptile was daily taken from the cage. 
