30 EXPOSED AND CONCEALED ANIMALS 



A special example of the cryptozoic tendency 

 in poisonous snakes is the behaviour of the cobra 

 in captivity in the presence of its food. Many 

 Eastern jugglers and gipsies carry cobras about 

 with them coiled up in round flat baskets, which 

 are kept covered except during a performance. 

 These cobras are fed upon eggs, which they 

 swallow whole without breaking the shell. If 

 they are preparing to cast their skin, and the 

 eyes are glazed, they do not take food. But 

 if they are in a normally hungry condition they 

 will not touch a proffered egg so long as the 

 basket is uncovered. If the cover is removed 

 again two or three minutes after it has been 

 replaced with the egg in the basket, the egg 

 will be found to have been swallowed, and can 

 be perceived travelling down the gullet by the 

 protuberance which it causes ; a second egg 

 may be taken in like manner shortly afterwards. 



Mr Frank Buckland (" Curiosities of Natural 

 History," second series, reprinted, London 1903, 

 p. 131) wanted to see whether a hedgehog would 

 eat a common harmless snake. He caught a 

 snake near Harrow, and bought a hedgehog 

 in St Giles's. For several mornings he placed 

 them together on the grass ; but they took no 

 notice of each other. At last, one evening, he 

 shut them both up in a box together. During 

 the night the hedgehog attacked and devoured 

 half the snake, beginning at the tail. In a 



