372 NATURAL HISTORY. 



young. Pages upon pages have been written pro and con, but as yet one 

 can only give the Scotch verdict, — not proven. The story is often told, 

 that when the snakes are alarmed the young rush into the open mouth of 

 the mother, and seek protection inside her body. It seems as if this ques- 

 tion might be easily settled, but as yet no naturalist has ever had satisfac- 

 tory evidence on this point. Time and time again specimens have been 

 brought to the laboratories, but in almost every instance the contained 

 specimens have belonged to another species, and were undoubtedly swal- 

 lowed as food, or they were nearly developed young which were in the 

 uterus, a place where they could never get to by crawling into the mouth 

 of the mother. 



The question of fascination has also been debated to a great extent, 

 but here the general opinion of naturalists seems to be that snakes 

 really have no power of charming birds or animals, and that the many 

 cases reported rest on erroneous observation. The general tenor of these 

 stories is familiar to all. A quotation from Catesby, a naturalist of a 

 hundred and fifty years ago, who described the animals and plants of the 

 Carolina*, must suffice as a sample. Catesby never saw the operation, but 

 describes it at second-hand as follows : " All agree in the manner of the 

 Process, which is that the Animals, particularly Birds and Squirrels, no 

 sooner spy the Snake than they skip from Spray to Spray, hovering and 

 approaching gradually nearer the Enemy, regardless of any other Danger, 

 but with distracted Gestures and Outcries descend, tho' from the top of 

 the loftiest Trees, to the Mouth of the Snake, who openeth his Jaws, takes 

 them in, and instantly swallows them." 



In what could this superstition have had its origin ? One cannot say 

 with certainty, but it appears probable that it had its origin in the fact 

 that when a snake invades the nest of a bird, the mother with maternal 

 solicitude stays near the spot, and tries to drive away the intruder with 

 her wings and her cries. Again, it is possible that some animals, like 

 man, may lose their wits upon sudden fright, and hence be for the moment 

 unable to fly from the enemy. 



Still, it must be admitted that snakes do exercise a fascination of 

 another sort over human "beings, for everywhere we find traces, more or 

 less distinct, of serpent worship. In ancient Egypt the snake and the egg 

 were prominent symbols; among our American Indians the snake held a 

 mystic position, and even in the religion of the Jews it was not entirely 

 ignored, but at times it appeared as an object of genuine worship. 



Lowest of all the snakes are some small forms occupying tropical coun- 

 tries, and living almost entirely underground, where they feed upon ants 





