Intimidating Attitudes 



process by which the hiss originated and gradu- 

 ally increased by natural selection. We must 

 suppose that the rattle-snake was formerly 

 incapable of making any sound. One day a 

 variety appeared in which the skin was slightly 

 hardened, so that when the creature moved its 

 body rapidly there issued a slight sound. This 

 must have caused an enemy to refrain from 

 attack ; it thus lived to transmit this peculiarity 

 to its offspring, and those which made more noise 

 than their ancestors escaped, while those that 

 made less succumbed to their enemies. For our- 

 selves, we find it quite impossible to believe that 

 the rattle was thus gradually evolved by means 

 of natural selection. Indeed, we are inclined to 

 think that neither the hiss of the cobra nor its 

 " intimidating attitude" has any terrifying effect 

 on its adversary. In the case of the cobra we 

 are able to cite positive evidence that dogs and 

 cattle show no alarm at the attitude. 



" Dogs," writes D. Dewar of this display, 

 " regard it as a huge joke. Of this I have 

 satisfied myself again and again, for when out 

 coursing at Muttra we frequently came across 

 cobras, which the dogs used invariably to chase, 

 and we sometimes had great difficulty in keeping 

 the dogs off, since they seemed to be unaware 

 that the creature was venomous." 



Colonel Cunningham writes, on page 347 of 

 Some Indian Friends and Acquaintances : " Sport- 

 p 225 



