FOOD AND GROWTH 53 



and vipers exerts its deadly effect with the greatest rapidity on 

 mammals and birds. Here it may be noted that certain animals, 

 such as the ichneumon and the hedgehog, appear to be immune 

 to snake-poison. 



There is an ancient belief that snakes possess the power of 

 " fascinating," or, in other words, inducing a kind of paralysis 

 in the animals upon which they are about to prey. For many 

 years this idea has, however, been discredited by naturalists, 

 and it may be said to have received its deathblow as the result 

 of observations conducted in the menagerie of the Zoological 

 Society of London, of which an account will be found in the 

 Society's Proceedings for 1908. 



According to these observations, it appears that in the 

 majority of such supposed cases of fascination there is not the 

 remotest pretext for believing in the existence of any such 

 power. Many animals, however, are of an inquisitive disposi- 

 tion ; and in the case of the smaller mammals and birds, this is 

 associated with the power of attention. If a movement be 

 sudden or noisy, they start off at once ; but if it be slow, silent, 

 and stealthy, they remain motionless, although intensely 

 watchful. If a snake be prompt in seizing that moment of 

 watchfulness, it may secure its prey, but a human hand slowly 

 advanced has just as much power of fascination. 



These observations likewise demonstrate that, except in the 

 case of one particular group, animals display no special fear of 

 snakes ; the majority of species, such as frogs, rats, mice, 

 guinea-pigs, rabbits, ruminants, and birds, being absolutely in- 

 different to the proximity of a serpent — venomous or other- 

 wise ; and even when the latter approaches them, avoid it as 

 they would a stick when thrust in their direction. On the 

 other hand, apes and monkeys — but not lemurs — display a 

 marked instinctive dread and recognition of snakes. This is 

 displayed whether the reptiles are venomous or harmless. 



When the recorders of these observations approached the 

 cages in the monkey-house with a group of writhing snakes, 

 " the monkeys at once fell back shrieking, whilst the lemurs 

 crowded to the front of the cage, displaying the greatest interest 

 and not the smallest perturbation when a snake was brought 

 so close to them that its tongue almost touched their faces. 

 We got the impression that had the lemurs been given the 



