THE KING-COBRA , OR HA MADR 7 A D. 413 



(1) Some few years ago at Yenangyat or Yenangyoung, I now 

 forget which, a Shan snake-charmer was exhibiting four Hamadryads 

 There is a custom among many Burmans, Shans, etc., to have them- 

 selves specially tatooed, aod even to have charms inserted beneath the 

 gkin in order to render themselves invulnerable to certain things, e.g., 

 bullets, snakebite, &c. It happened that on this occasion among the 

 spectators was a Burman who had recently undergone some such 

 treatment as described against snake-bite, and, no doubt, thinking 

 it an excellent opportunity for displaying his invulnerability before 

 an admiring audience, he proceeded to boldly play with the snakes, 

 one of which (a recent capture) soon became enraged, struck at and 

 seized him by the hand, with the result that the unfortunate man soon 

 died. Some few days after this occurrence I saw the snakes and took 

 the opportunity of inspecting the mouth of the one which had bitten 

 the man, and discovered that the fangs had been rudely broken and 

 that the portions remaining were sufficiently long if the snake man- 

 aged to get a grip to penetrate flesh. The snake was a very line 

 specimen. 



(2) A Burman captured a Hamadryad, brought it home, and kept it 

 in a covered basket. Some friends anxious to see the snake called at 

 his house, when he at once offered to exhibit it ; but apparently he was 

 too careless in removing it from the basket or in handling it, for it 

 seized him at the base of the index finger, and he shortly after died 

 from the effects of the bite. 



(3) One evening, just after dusk, a man was driving home along 

 a jangle track, when his bullocks suddenly shied and dashed into the 

 jungle. On pulling them up he got down from the cart and takino- 

 his dah went off to see if he could ascertain the cause of their alarm 

 and to his surprise found a Hamadryad lying disabled across the track 

 ^ wheel having passed over his body. The cartroan cut a bamboo 

 killed the snake, and returned to his cart, when he soon observed one 

 of the bullocks trembling, &c. He unyoked the animal, but it oradu- 

 ally became worse and died. On several occasions I have seen a cobra 

 lying in the grass between the ruts on a cart-track, when disturbed 

 strike at the bullocks in a passing cart. 



(4) A few men accompanied by a dog were walking along a 

 jungle path, when suddenly the dog, which was following at a little 

 distance behind, gave a sharp bark. On looking round he was seen 



