OF WILD ANIMALS i 99 



time came to remove the scales from its eyes and lips? It 

 continued to lie perfectly still! When the pulling off of the 

 old skin hurt the new skin underneath, the head flinched 

 slightly, just as any hurt flesh will flinch by reflex action; but 

 that was absolutely all. For a long hour or more, and even 

 when the men pulled the dead scales from those eyes and lips, 

 that strange creature made no resistance or protest. I have 

 seen many people fight their doctors for less. 



That wild, newly-caught jungle snake quickly had recog- 

 nized the situation, and acted its part with a degree of sense 

 and appreciation that was astounding. I do not know of any 

 adult wild mammal that would have shown that kind and 

 degree of wisdom under similar circumstances. 



Do Snakes "Charm" Birds? Sometimes a wild bird 

 will sit still upon its nest while a big pilot blacksnake, or some 

 other serpent equally bad, climbs up and poises its head before 

 the motionless and terrified bird until at last the serpent 

 seizes the bird to devour it. The bird victim really seems to 

 be " charmed " by its enemy. If there were not some kind of 

 a hypnotic spell cast over the bird, would it not fly away? 



I think this strange proceeding is easily explainable by any 

 one with sufficient imagination to put himself in the bird's 

 place. It is the rule of a sitting bird to sit tight, not to be 

 scared off by trifles, and to take great risks rather than expose 

 her eggs to cold and destruction. The ascent and approach of 

 the serpent is absolutely noiseless. Not a leaf is stirred. The 

 potential mother of a brood calmly sits with eyes half closed, 

 at peace with all the world. Suddenly, and with a horrible 

 shock, she discovers a deadly serpent's multi-fanged head and 

 glittering eyes staring at her within easy striking distance. 



The horrified mother bird feels that she is lost. She knows 

 full well that with any movement to escape the serpent instantly 

 will launch its attack. Her one hope, and seemingly her only 

 chance for life, is that if she remains motionless the serpent will 

 go its way without harming her. (Think of the thousands of 



