ON SERPENT- WORSHIP AND VENOMOOS SNAKES. Vi 



poison into man or beast, it is almost surely fatal, and all the 

 vaunted antidotes are futile. 



Cobras are frequently exhibited by the so-called snake- 

 charmers. Their graceful attitudes, with raised heads and 

 distended necks, as they sway from side to side watching the 

 movements of their keeper, and frequently striking at him, 

 and the ease with which they are handled, make them general 

 favourites. I may here remark that the cobra depicted in 

 Hindoo legends or old paintings is the gokurrah, or spectacled 

 snake. They are generally deprived of their fangs (whicli 

 is done by cutting them out with a coarse knife), but the 

 snake-charmers know the habits of the creature so well that 

 they handle them without fear, even when armed, though 

 with great caution, always grasping them tightly below the 

 head with one hand and holding the tail with the other. 

 They know that a new fang is soon produced, and to prevent 

 this they sometimes remove the capsule and reserve fangs, 

 thus making the snake permanently harmless. The sole 

 secret of these men lies in their dexterity and fearlessness. 

 Their muntras, their antidotes, and the pipes with whicli they 

 pretend to charm are as devoid of real power over the snake 

 as are the snake-stones, roots, and other nostrums over its 

 poison. They know that dexterity is their real security. 



The snake-charmers occasionally exhibit the ophiophagus, 

 — which, like the cobra, dilates the hood when excited — also 

 the bungarus, daboia, and some of the innocent snakes, such 

 as Chrysopelia, Passerita, Ptyas, and Etnas, which are remark- 

 able for the beauty of their colours, their activity, or their 

 peculiarity of form. These exhibitions are always accom- 

 panied by the music of the pipes. 



The cobra is an object of superstitious awe to the Hindus. 

 Should fear or the death of some inmate of the house in 

 whicli the cobra has taken up its abode prove stronger than 

 superstition, it may be caught and deported in an earthen 

 jar to some field, where it is allowed to escape, but not 

 destroyed. Still the cobra has many enemies. Besides by 

 its natural foes, such as the mongoose (Herpestes), pigs, 

 rapacious birds, and other creatures, numbers are destroyed 

 by low caste people for the sake of reward. But still the loss 

 of human life is great. 



The Ophiophagus elaps (Hamadryad, Snnkerchor) is one of 

 the largest venomous snakes. It attains a length of ten or 

 twelve feet, is very powerful and active, and is said to be 

 aggressive ; it is hooded like the cobra, and resembles it in 



