290 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



was within doors, and only caged when he was at 

 work. It appeared to know him well and recog- 

 nised his voice, as it would protrude its tongue on 

 his approach and raise its head. 



There was nothing it more dearly loved than to 

 nestle under the blankets near my friend's chest, 

 in the cold days of December and January. It was 

 a long time before his dogs would take to it, but a 

 little terrier soon made friends and then the others 

 tolerated it all except Fan, a fine spaniel, which 

 could never be persuaded to allow the snake to 

 approach her. There seemed to be reason in this 

 antipathy, for some time after Fan had a litter of 

 four puppies, and one morning when the master 

 was having his breakfast and the boa was loose as 

 usual, Fan left her puppies a moment and went 

 into the breakfast room, on the chance of getting a 

 scrap. Shortly after she set up a tremendous 

 barking, and on going out to see what was the 

 matter, my friend found the boa coiled up in Fan's 

 corner, and two of her puppies missing. The 

 boa was in disgrace for some time after, and not 

 allowed out of its hutch. 



Visitors were chary of approaching my friend's 

 house, and always stopped at the gate and shouted 

 out, " Put away your d d snake " before ven- 

 turing within doors. Its presence also kept away 

 the natives, and few of the domestic servants would 

 go near it. When carefully fed it was perfectly 

 harmless and slept away the most of its existence. 

 During the time it shed its outer skin it would take 

 no food for about a month, but would constantly 



