CROCODILES AND SNAKES 



273 



and so imagine, whenever they see a snake darting its tongue out of 

 its mouth, that it must belong to one of the venomous kinds. This 

 is a great mistake, however, for it is the fangs alone which are to be 

 dreaded, and even if a man could be bitten by the teeth of a poisonous 

 snake, and not by the fangs, the injury would be no greater than that 

 caused by the bite of a serpent of a similar size which was not venom- 

 /ous at all. 



THE COBRA 



The Cobra.— One of the most deadly of all the poisonous snakes 

 is the cobra di capello, or eye-glass snake, so called from the markings 

 resembling spectacles on its neck. As is always the case with snakes 

 of this class, its character may be at once known by the shape of the 

 head, which is much widened owing to the presence of the poison 

 glands upon either side. 



Non-poisonous snakes have to overcome their prey in a very 

 different manner. They cannot give their victim one quick bite, and 



