A POPULAR TREATISE ON THE COMMON INDIAN SNAKES. 553 



occurs about once a month, and Vincent Richards gives about the 

 same period between successive moults from his observations. It will 

 be seen from the above that there is no regularity in this function, 

 which may occur at intervals ranging between three weeks, and three 

 months. I am informed by snakemen that specimens in captivity 

 sicken during this period, and that they are afraid to give them food 

 or drink as it upsets them. They certainly appear very dull, and non- 

 captive specimens are most likely to meet with their death, if they 

 venture out of their holes at this time, the disc before the eye becom- 

 ing so opaque that the creature is virtually blind for some time. 



Foes. — In a former Journal* I published a list of the enemies of 

 snakes in their natural haunts, any of which I take it may include 

 the cobra in their dietary. Among mammals, the Mongoose has 

 been conceded a special place as a destroyer of cobras. Personally 

 I always had the greatest difficulty to get my captive Mongooses, and 

 I have had three or four to face my captive cobras, much less attack 

 them. Mr. Stevens in Assam told me he once witnessed an 

 encounter between a Mongoose and a cobra. The snake managed 

 to evade the carnivore, in the tall grass and was killed by 

 Mr. Stevens. An interesting incident was reported to me by Mr. Reid 

 showing that some animals have an instinctive dread of the cobra, or 

 perhaps snakes in general. A herd of buffaloes that were standing, 

 feeding out of a row of " nands, " suddenly became very excited, and 

 broke loose, stamping and snorting, and to all appearances were 

 terrified. On investigation a cobra was found close by which was 

 killed, one old cow when she saw it rushed upon its body, and 

 trampled it. This by the way is the method by which deer and 

 pigs are reported to attack and destroy snakes. Gunther says the 

 jungle fowl kills young cobras, and this seems probable, as domestic 

 fowls are known to kill and eat them; an event of this kind happened 

 before the eyes of the late Mr. P. W. MacKinnon in Mussoorie, his 

 fowl killing, and then swallowing the snake with no ill-effects. Both 

 Evans and Craddock have reported instances of the cobra being- 

 victimised by the king cobra (N. bungarus) in this Journal, f 

 Mr. Gleadow once wrote to me that he saw a large monitor lizard 

 (Varanus, spec.) running off with a live snake, 3 or 4 feet long, in 

 his jaws, which when released was shot, and proved to be a cobra. 



Parasites. — Among entozoa, a very common parasite is the tick. 

 Aponomma gervaisi. — When adult it is about the size of a split 

 lentil, fiat, and of a dark plumbeous colour. I have picked as 

 many as a dozen off one snake. A less common parasite I have 

 not been able to get identified, but it is so like the English harvest 

 bug (Trombidium holosericeum) in size, and appearance besides being 

 of the same scarlet hue, that I suspect it is a mite of the Tromhidium 

 genus. 



* Vol. XVI, p. 375. f Vol. XIVj pp. 143 and 416. 



