100 POISONOUS SNAKES AND SNAKE POISONS. 



mense strain on my mind very long without moving in- 

 voluntarily one or the other way. Something had to be 

 done — while I kept my eyes fixed on the ugly reptile 

 beside me, I began to move away from it, very, very 

 slowly, until I was beyond immediate reach of a bite, 

 then I quickly jumped up, grasped my forked stick and 

 pinned Mr. Snake to the ground, despite his desperate 

 wriggling and kicking. It ceased soon, whereupon I 

 put him into the box which I always carried with me 

 when out snake hunting. 



So we see that without falling back on a special 

 mysterious power of the eye of a snake, we may suppose 

 that its strange looks, combined with the fear of disaster 

 which the presence of so wicked an animal must pro- 

 duce, can exert influence enough to deprive any creature 

 of its usual agility and to cause it to behave as under 

 ordinary circumstances it would not have done. 



We know, moreover, that numerous animals s-uch as 

 mice and rats, do not mind the presence of poisonous 

 snakes. They may be curious to find out what is near 

 them, but are never afraid of running over or otherwise 

 touching vipers that occupy the same cage. Nay, 

 there are well authenticated instances when after all 

 the snake, instead of killing the rats that were put 

 into its cage as food, was rather bitten by the rodents 

 and finally devoured without injury to them. Other 

 animals, for instance cats, when attacked by poisonous 

 snakes, have defended themselves bravely, and either 

 sold their lives as dearly as possible, or in not a few cases 

 even triumphed over their adversary. 



At all events we see that the bad eye ascribed to 



poisonous snakes cannot serve as a distinguishing 



feature. There is only one fully reliable criterion left, 



their teeth or "poison fangs." We find the latter in 



venomous serpents only, so that their presence or 



absence alone decides the character of the reptile. 



5e 



