NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 67 



He placed in the middle of the room a large box, which was 

 carefully locked. He told me the box was always locked, unless 

 he or his wife took out the snakes to feed or examine them. 

 The first lie produced from the box was a very fine common 

 British snake (Coluber natrix). His snakes have all got names, 

 and this one's name was Julia. Julia not long ago laid thirty- 

 six eggs, which were hatched out successfully. The next was 

 also a common British snake. The ring round the neck was 

 very bright in this snake. She rejoices in the name of Sylvia. 

 Sylvia is very good at frogs ; lately she ate nine frogs, seven large 

 frogs and two small, at one meal, one after the other. Mr. Mann 

 has also two other common snakes, whose names are Proteus 

 and Beatrice, or She of the Golden Hair. This modern snake- 

 charmer then dived his hand into the box, and brought out an 

 exceedingly lively brown-coloured snake. The head is remark- 

 ably pretty and lizard-like, and it has the power of moving the 

 head very quickly from side to side ; the eye is also remarkably 

 brilliant. This snake was bought from Jamrach; it is called a 

 Lacertine, and conies from the coast of Mogador, Northern 

 Africa ; it is perfectly harmless. Mr. Mann has had the lacer- 

 tine about twenty months. It is a pretty, elegant creature. It 

 feeds on white mice. 



Mr. Mann then showed me the gem of his collection. It is a 

 remarkably handsome Brazilian boa. measuring between five and 

 six feet long, and weighing from twelve to fourteen pounds. 

 The name of this snake is " Cleo," short for Cleopatra. Con- 

 tinual handling and petting has caused this snake to become 

 most remarkably tame, and I think there can be no doubt that 

 she knows individuals. When placed on the table, " Cleo " 

 would not come to me at all, but glided away to her master, who 

 was sitting at the opposite side of the table, and stretching her 

 length from the table to the chair, gradually pulled her long 

 body on to him. She then glided up his right side, and folding 

 her coils round his neck, placed her head close to her master's 

 face, and there she lay for some minutes quivering her black 

 forked tongue with evident pleasure. Mr. Mann's two little 

 children, aged five and six respectively, then came into the room. 

 They immediately ran to the snake and began playing with it, 

 kissing it, and pulling it, calling it " Cleo ; dear Cleo." " Cleo " 

 was then made to glide on the floor ; the children ran after 

 her and picked her up, and the little girl twisted her up 

 round her neck like a boa. (I wonder if this was the origin of 

 the word boa ?) " Cleo " evidently enjoyed the fun as much as 

 the children. It was very curious to see these two little children 

 encircled in " Cleo's " ponderous folds, reminding me much of 



