TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



evidently entranced by it and for the time being completely 

 under control. 



Afterwards, by means of this discordant " music," 

 he lured out of a disused well another cobra, which, unless 

 he had previously placed it there himself, which was 

 scarcely possible, was certainly not one of his own. 



This one he also played to for a time, and with the 

 same effect, then, suddenly grasping it by the tail, and 

 running his hand up rapidly, grasped it below the neck 

 and forcing its jaws open, extracted its two poison fangs, 

 using a pair of pincers for the purpose. 



It was certainly a marvellous performance and one 

 requiring extraordinary skill and courage, as the slightest 

 mistake, or fumbling, would have cost the man his life, 

 for the snake, as we had seen, was dangerous at the time. 



With many so-called snake-charmers, who perform their 

 tricks with what are believed to be poisonous snakes, it 

 is the practice to have the poisonous fangs extracted before- 

 hand, and though they grow again, for the time being they 

 make it harmless. 



Writing about snakes reminds me of an amusing 



adventure experienced by W , a friend of mine at 



Castle-rock, a wild, delightful spot in the Western Ghats, 

 one of the few remaining haunts of the common hamadryad 

 snakes. 



The hamadryad is a very large species of poisonous 

 snake, most venomous, and so swift in its movements as 

 to have won for itself the somewhat incredible reputation 

 of being able to coil itself into a hoop for the purpose of 

 chasing its victim with greater rapidity. 



W- , when out on one occasion in the jungle after 



big game, was told by the beaters that a pair of hamadryads 

 were hatching some eggs in another jungle close by. The 

 male is said, like the ostrich, to take its share in this 

 performance. 



Great precaution was necessary in order that they 

 might be approached unobserved, as they are supposed 

 to attack, if disturbed, on the slightest provocation. 



However, they managed to get near, and W , catching 



sight of the male, promptly shot it, then offered a reward 

 to any one who could show him the whereabouts of the 

 104 



