no2 



VEliTEBKATA. 



OniiiK \'1I'KU: Vipcra. — This incliulcs the Asp, V. aspls, a sinull species of venomous 

 ^-.. ■->^„^ ^ serpent fountl in the European 



Alp 



>s. 



THE ASP. 



THE HOODED SNAKES. 



The Hooded Snakes, of wliicli 

 there are several species, are ar- 

 rancred with the Culubrina by 

 some naturalists, hut as their 

 venom is of the most deadly 

 nature, we shall follow Cuvicr and 

 place them with the Vipcrina. 

 In these the skin ahmit the neck 

 is loose, and the ribs of that 

 part of the body are capable of 

 being extended and raised, so as 

 to dilate the skin into a sort of 

 disk, which, from its resemblance 

 to a hood, has given them their 

 popular name. 



Genus XAIA : JVaia. — This 

 includes the Naia Haje of Africa, probably the Asp or Aspic of Cleopatra ; its color is black- 

 ish-brown, with a shining, slaty hue around the head. Its bite is very deadly, and poison is 

 distilled from its fangs when it is irritated. One species, the Spitting-Snake, has the power of 

 ejecting its venom to the distance of a few feet. The jugglers of Grand Cairo have the art of 

 taming the Ilaje, and teaching it to dance for the amusement of the people, first, no doubt, de- 

 priving it of its fangs. The habit this serpent has of erecting itself when approached, led the 

 ancient Egyptians to regard it as the guardian of the places it inhabited. Hence they made 

 it the emblem of the divinity which they supposed to protect the ^yorld, and accordingly sculp- 

 tured it in their temples, on each side of a globe. It is a curious fact that the jugglers of 

 Egypt, at the present day, are accustomed to throw this serpent into a state of catalepsy by 

 pressing the nape with the fingers. In this case it becomes stiff and immovable, like a rod. 

 Probably the magicians of Egypt, in the contest yviih Moses before Pharaoh, according to 

 Exodus vii. 9-12, only performed this trick. 



Other African species of Naia are the i\^ Hamachatcs and 2^. rhomheata, both resembling the 

 preceding, and found at the Cape of Good Hope. 



The Cobra di Capello, that is Adder of the Hood, is a name given by the Portuguese to a 

 species common in India and Ceylon, iT. tripudians. It resembles the Haje, but is found from five 

 to ten feet long. It is marked on the back of the neck with a figure resembling a pair of spec- 

 tacles, whence it is called the Spectacle- Snake, and Serpent a lunettes by the French. It is an 

 active and deadly species, but the jugglers of India teach it to dance and keep time to music ; 

 they also handle it, probably having first extracted its fangs. The Hindoos liave many super- 

 stitions respecting this serpent, and even believe that the Deity sometimes assumes its form. In 

 some of the temples it is an object of worship, being carefully fed with milk and sugar by the 

 priests. ^^ hen thus treated it becomes quite tame. It seems to have a love of music, and will 

 often come out of its hole to listen to a tune on the pipe or flageolet, played by the snake-charm- 

 ers. These persons are often employed by the people of India to rid their houses of these ser- 

 pents, which is done by enticing them out of their holes by their music, and killing them as soon 

 as they appear. In a wild state, this species is an object of general dread. The mungoos, or 

 moongus, a species of ichneumon, is its deadly enemy, and often destroys it. The following 

 account, recently ftirnished by a British ofiicer in Hindostan, gives a thrilling picture of an in- 

 cident of this nature : 



" A short time anterior to the recent mutiny in India, I commanded a little detachment of 



