70 REPTILES AND BIRDS. 
balances its head and body, and thus simulates a kind of dance, 
Other charmers induce the Cobra to make a variety of movements 
of the neck and head by playing upon a whistle or flute. It is 
said that these mysterious jugglers are able, by some sympathetic 
action they possess, to plunge these dangerous enemies into a sort of 
lethargy and death-like rigidity, and to bring them at will out of this 
momentary torpor. It is certain, at any rate, that they handle these — 
animals, whose bite is extremely dangerous, with considerable im- 
punity. It is supposed by some that.these charmers take the precau- 
tion of exhausting the venom of the Cobra every day by forcing it to 
bite something several times before exhibiting it, or by drawing its 
poisonous fangs. 
The Asp (Waa haje) has a less dilatable neck ; it is of a greenish 
colour, and marked with brownish spots. It is smaller than the 
former ; is found in the west and south of Africa ; and is especially 
common in Fgypt. It was said to have been this reptile which 
caused the death of Cleopatra. 
[The genus Hamadryas of Cantor (Ophiophagus of Giinther) 
differs very little from the true Cobras, but has a less developed 
hood, and a single small tooth placed at some distance behind the 
fang. The only species (//. e/afs) attains to thirteen feet in length, 
and is proportionately formidable, being much less timid and retiring 
in its habits than the Cobras of the genus /Va7a._ It preys habitually on 
other Snakes, and seems to be more plentiful eastward of the Bay of 
Bengal than itis in India. In Burmah it is styled the Gnan; and 
Mr. Theobald tells us that its venom is fatal ina few minutes. ‘“ One 
of these snakes,” he adds, “was brought in alive, and a snake- 
charmer came up to display his command over the animal. At first, 
(as I am told) the snake seemed cowed by the authoritative ‘Hah’ 
of the man ; but suddenly, through some carelessness on his part, the 
snake struck him on the wrist. ‘The poor fellow at once ran off 
home to get an antidote, but fell down before reaching his own 
door, and died in a few minutes. When at Tonghu,” continues Mr. 
Theovald, “I heard a case of an elephant being killed by one of 
these snakes, which I have no reason for doubting. The elephant 
was a fine powerful male, and was pulling down with his trunk some 
creepers or boughs, when a large Gnan, which was disturbed in 
the tree, struck the elephant on the trunk between the eyes. The 
elephant at once retreated, became faint, and died in about three 
hours.” This terrible Snake would appear to be not uncommon 
in the Andaman Islands, and its range of distribution extends 
through the Malay countries to the Philippines and to New Guinea, 
