163 



then cautiously advanced towards the basket, peered or rather craned 

 over it — and instantly with a gesture of horror and aversion, and the 

 cry of Hoo ! hoo ! recoiled from the detested object, jumped back 

 as far as he could, and then sprang to his keeper for protection. He 

 was again put down, his attention diverted from the basket, and, 

 after a while, tempted to its neighbourhood by the display of a fine 

 rosy-cheeked apple, which was at last held on the opposite rim of 

 the hamper. But no — he would evidently have done a good deal 

 to get at the apple ; but the gulf wherein the serpent lay was to be 

 passed, and after some slight contention between hunger and horror, 

 off he went and hid himself. I then covered up the snake, and after 

 luring him out with the apple, placed it on the blanket — No. I then 

 shut down the lid — still the same desire and the same aversion. I then 

 had the hamper, with the lid down, removed from the chair on which 

 it had been placed to another part of the room. The apple was again 

 shown to Tommy and placed on the lid. He advanced cautiously, 

 looking back at the empty chair and then at the hamper : he ad- 

 vanced further with evident reluctance, but when he approached 

 near he peered forward toward the basket, and, as if overcome by 

 fright, again ran back and hid himself under his cage. 



" I now caused the hamper with the serpent to be taken out of 

 the room. Our friend soon came forward. I showed him the apple 

 and placed it on the chair. He advanced a little, and I patted his 

 head and encouraged him. He then came forth and went about the 

 room, looking carefully as if to satisfy himself that the snake was 

 gone — advanced to the chair more boldly, — looked under it — and 

 then took the apple and ate it with great appetite, dancing about 

 and resuming all his former gaietj^ 



" We know that there are large constricting serpents in Africa ; 

 and as the animal must have been very young when separated from 

 its parent, I made this experiment in particular to try his instinct : 

 it succeeded to the entire satisfaction of the witnesses who were 

 present. 



" He manifested aversion to a small living tortoise, but nothing 

 like the horror which he betrayed at sight of the snake. I was in- 

 duced to show him the former by the account of the effect produced 

 by Testudinata on the Asiatic Orang, whose habits are so admirably 

 described by Dr. Abel and Captain Methuen, who brought the ani- 

 mal to England. 



" Tommy, among other exercises, is very fond of swinging. He 

 places himself on the swing, generally in a sitting posture, holding 

 on each side with his hands. He not unfrequently puts up his feet 

 and grasps the cord on either side with them too, appearing more at 

 home on his slack rope than II Diavolo Antonio himself. 



" James Hunt, one of the keepers, has observed him frequently 



