NOTE-BOOK OF A NATUEALIST. 203 



charmer stooped to it, moved in a very odd, agitated 

 manner, on its belly, regarding him askant. I thought 

 the serpent was going to fly at the lad, but it did not. 

 He took it up, played with it, blew or spit at it, and 

 then set it down, apparently sick, subdued, and limp. 

 He then took it up again, played with it a second time, 

 gathered it up in his hand, put it in his bosom, went to 

 another box, drew the lid, and brought out more snakes, 

 one of which was another naia,. and the others of a most 

 venomous kind. 



Now there were two naias, w^th heads and bodies 

 erect, obeying, apparently, the volition of the charmers. 

 One of the snakes bit the youth on the naked hand, and 

 brought the blood ; but he only spat on the wound and 

 scratched it ^\^.th his nail, which made the blood flow 

 more freely. Then he brought out more lizards of a 

 most revolting aspect. By this time the floor of the 

 reptile-house, that formed the stage of the charmers, 

 began to put one in mind of the incantation-scene in 

 Der Freischutz, only that the principal performers looked 

 more like the Black Huntsman and one of his familiars 

 than Max and Caspar, and the enchanters' circle was 

 surrounded with fair ladies and their well-dressed lords, 

 instead of the appalling shapes which thronged round 

 the affrighted huntsman at the casting of the charmed 

 bullets. The Arabs, holding the snakes by the tails, let 

 their bodies touch the floor, w^hen they came twisting 

 and wriggling on towards the spectators, who now backed 

 a little upon the toes of those who pressed them from 

 behind. Sometimes the charmers would loose then' hold, 

 when the serpents, as if eager to escape from their tor- 

 mentors, rapidly advanced upon the retreating ring ; 

 * but they always caught them by the tails in time, and 

 then made them repeat the same advances. I kept my 

 position in front throughout, and had no fear, feeling 

 certain that Mr. Mitchell, and those under whose super- 



