CATCHERS* 209 



ally did, and to some purpose, for in an hour 

 after, he died of the bite. The father of the 

 boy was astonished, and protested, it could 

 not be from the bite, that the snake had no 

 venomous teeth, and that he and the boy had 

 often been bitten by it before, without any 

 bad effect. On examining the snake it was 

 found that the former fangs were replaced by 

 new ones, not then far out of the jaw, but suffi- 

 cient to kill the boy. The old man said that 

 he never saw 7 , or heard of such a circumstance 

 before, and was quite inconsolable for the loss 

 of his son. 



The method these people adopt to catch 

 snakes is as follows. As snakes never make 

 holes for themselves, but inhabit those made 

 by other animals, such as lizards, rats, mice, 

 &c. In order to ascertain if they are occupied 

 by snakes, they examine the mouths of the 

 holes, and if frequented by them, the under 

 part is worn smooth by the snake passing 

 over it, with sometimes a little sliminess; 

 whereas if frequented by any animal having 



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