TEE KING-COBRA, OR HAMADRYAD. 415 



ahd I certainly did not approach nearer than twenty yards cr so^ In 

 neither instance did the snake attempt to attack me, thongh from the 

 fact of raising the body, &c., it was evident I had been observed. 

 I killed both, near the nests, destroying 29 eggs in one, and 21 in the 

 other nest. The eggs were lying under leaves, &g., at the bottom of the 

 sests, one lot contained embryos, the other no trace. To the best of my 

 recollection I found them towards the end of April or early in May. 

 The Burmans with me on each occasion ran away in spite of my havino- 

 a gun. The explanation afforded was quaint, viz., that Hamadryads live 

 in pairs, and as the male always lives near the nest to take turn to 

 guard the eggs, the shot would be sure to alarm him, and on discovering 

 his mate ruthlessly slaughtered, would chase us in the hopes of avenging 

 her death. If what a Shan told me be true, Hamadryads either do not 

 always attack an intruder, or do not always remain in the immediate 

 vicinity of their nests to protect the eggs. Some two years aco in the 

 month of July I came across a Shan at the foot of the hills east of Yame- 

 thin, ho was carrying some snakes eggs, and the information he gave 

 me was roughly as follows. He was returning from a villa o-e in the 

 bills, and feeling thirsty left the track to obtain a drink, when he 

 suddenly found himself alongside a Gnan's nest, he nipped up the nearest 

 tree thinking the snake would be after him. After waiting some little 

 time and not seeing the Gnan about he came down, collected the 

 eggs and bolted back to the path ; he was in a great fright till he 

 got on to open ground. He assured me there were more than thirty 

 eggs, he had broken some, and still had some two dozen, which he 

 was taking as a present to a snake-charmer friend at Nyouno-16n." 

 (c) This is generally speaking, correct; but it often requires much 

 irritation to provoke attack. Many harmless snakes, when cornered, 

 will menace and often strike with great malice ; and I well remember 

 when driving to camp in a bullock cart rather late one evening we came 

 on a cobra. I told the cartman to get out and kill it. He took 

 his cane and went after the cobra, aimed a blow at it and missed. 

 The snake was round instantly, and with hood extended came straight 

 at him, when the man struck it a blow which killed it. 



With regard to their food, snakes innocent and poisonous, apparently 

 enter.into the bill of fare ; but I imagine their diet is not restricted to 

 snakes. Other varieties of snakes often make a meal on another, the 

 pythonj cobra, Bungarus fasciatus, Simotes cyclurus, &c. Twice I have 



