72 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Capable of being tamed. 



would begin to hiss, and soon filled the room 

 with an effluvia so nauseous as to render it almost 

 insupportable, 



A French snake, which is supposed to be of 

 a species nearly allied to this, had been (says 

 Bomare) so completely tamed by a lady, as to 

 come to her whenever she called it, to follow her 

 in her walks, writhe itself round her arms, and 

 sleep in her bosom. One day, when she went in 

 a .boat to some distance up a large river, she 

 threw the snake into the water, imagining that 

 its fidelity would lead it to follow her, and that, 

 by swimming, it would readily overtake the boat. 

 The poor animal exerted all its efforts, but the 

 current proving at that juncture unusually 

 strong, owing to the advance of the tide, in 

 spite of all its struggling ta effect its purpose, it 

 was borne down the stream, and was unfortunate- 

 ly drowned. 



THE HOODED SNAKE. 



THERE are five or six kinds of this dreadful 

 serpent, which is very common in many parts of 

 India. The eyes are fierce, and full of fire ; the 

 head is rather small; and a little beyond it there 

 is a lateral dilation of the skin, which is conti- 

 nued, to the length of about four inches down- 

 wards, where it gradually sinks into the cylindri- 

 cal form of the rest of the body, and which the 



