Dr. Davy’s Ceylon. 299 
in a tapering cartilaginous process. ‘These horny spurs are use- 
ful in enabling the snake to climb trees and hold fast its prey. 
«¢ This snake (says the author) is the largest species in Ceylon ; 
and the only one that grows to a great size. I have seen aspeci- 
men of it about seventeen feet long, and proportionably thick. 
It is said by the natives to attain a much greater magnitude, and 
to be found occasionally twenty-five and thirty feet long, and of 
the thickness of a common-sized man. The colour of different 
specimens that I have seen has varied a little: it is generallya mix- 
ture of brown and yellow; the back and sides are strongly aud 
rather handsomely marked with irregular patches of dark brown, 
with dark margins. ‘The jaws are powerful, and capable of great 
dilatation; and they are armed with large strong sharp teeth 
reclining backwards. As the muscular strength of this snake is 
immense, and its activity and courage considerable, it may be 
credited that it will occasionally attack man ; there can be no 
doubt that it overpowers deer, and swallows them entire. 
“ The natives have many ridiculous stories respecting this 
snake. They say, that when young, it is a polonga, and pro- 
vided with poisonous fangs ; and that when of a certain age and 
size it loses these fangs, acquires spurs, and becomes a pimbe- 
rah, They suppose its spurs are poisonous, and that the ani- 
mal uses them in striking and killing its prey. They imagine 
that parturition is always fatal to the female, owing to the ab- 
domen bursting on the occasion ; and that the males, aware of 
this circumstance, out of regard for the females of their species, 
avoid them, and choose for their mates female noyas.”” 
The most common of the poisonous snakes of Ceylon, is the 
Noya or hooded snake of the English, and Goluber nuja of Lin- 
neus. The natives rather venerate this snake than dread it, 
and will not even kill it when found in their houses. 
«© Frequent exihibitions are made of this snake in Ceylon, as 
well as on the continent of India, by men called snake-charmers. 
The exhibition is rather a curious one, and not a little amusing 
to those who can calmly contemplate it. The charmer irritates 
the snake by striking it, and by rapid threatening motions of 
his‘ hand ; and appeases it by his voice, by gentle circular move- 
ments of his hand, and by stroking it gently. He avoids, with 
great agility, the attacks of the animal when enraged, and plays 
with it and handles it only when pacified, when he will bring the 
mouth of the animal in contact with his forehead, and draw it 
over his face. The ignorant and vulgar believe that these men 
really possess a charm, by which they thus play without dread and 
with impunity, with danger. The more enlightened, laugh- 
ing at this idea, consider the men impostors, and that in playing 
P p2 their 
