INDIAN SNAKES. l6l 



feood, is a beautiful sight indeed. Some new arrivals 

 have been observed to remain like this for a whole week. 

 When a number of them live together, they are some 

 times given to fighting among themselves, but seldom with 

 any serious result. Even a careful observer will find it 

 difficult to ascertain what provokes the fight. An experi- 

 enced snake-man thinks nothing of going inside a cage 

 full of cobras with fangs, after they have got accus- 

 tomed to his presence for a few days. The only 

 precaution necessary is that he must carefully watch their 

 movements the whole time. Cobras feed on rats, frogs, 

 toads, small birds &c. They do not, like pythons, coil 

 round their prey. New arrivals sometimes remain in sulk 

 for days together ; some even starve themselves to death. 

 During the winter, they generally lie inactive under the 

 blanket or straw, occasionally one venturing out to seek 

 warmth in the cheerful rays of the sun, if there be any. 

 In summer, they move about to refresh themselves with 

 the cool breeze. 



THE SANKHACHUR 



is another species of cobra, which is as remarkable 

 for its size as for its curious habit of eating other 

 snakes. It is the King cobra, or Hamadryad of Europe- 

 ans in India, and is the largest of all Indian venomous 

 snakes, attaining to a length of twelve to fifteen feet. 

 It is a very powerful snake, and rather aggressive in 

 nature, but, fortunately, it inhabits imfrequented forest 

 regions, being seldom or never found near villages or 



