180 



NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



KCIVFTIAX COBRA OR 'ASP." 

 In its passive moods, there are no indicatiims of a " hood." 



• OBSliKXAI'lOXS OX CAPTU'K Cor.K.XS. 



Compared with the \;ist majority of other serpent.s. the snakes 

 of the genus Xaja exhilnt a remarkaljle de.^'ree of intelHgence. 

 Their actions appear to he well premeditated. W'lien alarmed 

 they do not dash l)lindly away, as do most snakes, with an indefi- 

 nite idea of simply placing distance hetween reptile and pursuer, 

 hut usually dart for some i)lace suggesting shelter, a small open- 

 ing or crevice. Such actions also demonstrate a more highly 

 developed sense of vision than most serpents seem to possess. 



To assert that the species of a genus possess a considerably 

 higher degree of intelligence and a more acutely developed sense 

 of sight than ap])ears in others is to make an inii)ori;inl distinc- 

 tion, but to demonstrate that mere theory l)ase(l upon iK-sultory 

 actions observed in imlividual specimens ha^ nn pari in these 

 conclusions, the writer cites various psychological experiments 

 made with Cobras now in the Reptile House. 



Experiment No. i; Egyptian Cobra iX. liajc). — A small 

 wooden box, with thin, sliding top, was ])lace(l in the cage with 

 the serpent. The lid of the box was left i)artially o])i'n. and into 

 the box for the greater ])art of the da\- the rc'i)tiK' rrlirrd to hide. 



