BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCINTY. 
animals they met with, but which they had not scen before, according 
to their most prominent features and appearances. For example, 
they named the snakes thus ; the nag, on account of its hood, they 
called Cobra-de-Capello; the gonoos or the Daboia, on account of its 
beautiful mosaic skin, they named Cobra-de-Aleatifa, or carpet snake ; 
the water snakes they called Cobras-de-agoa, and so on: even some of 
the lizards they called cobras. 
Permit me to read to you by way of illustrating the above stated 
view, namely, that the earlier Portuguese in India classified the ani- 
mals they saw, according to appearances, the description of Cobra- 
de-Capello given in his work called * Oriente Conquistudo ao Jesus 
Christo,” by the Jesuit Father, the Rev. Francisco de Souza. 
Although this work was published in the year 1710 it had been 
written previous to the year 1697. It treats of the Portuguese 
Conquests from the year 1542. I believe that it is the most 
elaborate and one of the first descriptions of the Cobra-de-Ca- 
pello ever given at that time, although mention is madeof the Cobra 
by Garcia de Orta, Fathers Jo&o Lucena, Daniel Bartoli, Bastian 
Gonsalves, Fernéo Mendes Pinto and others. ‘The despatches from 
the Portuguese Viceroys and other contemporary authorities and 
letters from private individuals to their friends also refer to it. The 
passage, which I translate into English as literally as possible, is 
as follows :— 
“The Cobra-de-Capello is so called, because it has a cartilaginous 
skin on its head, which opens and closes. When it is Open, it re- 
sembles a monk’s hood, and more appropriately a lady with patas 
and monhos. [The patas and monhos were a peculiar head-dress 
worn at that time by the Portuguese ladies, which spread out on 
both sides of the face having the concavity forwards.] It isa very 
ferocious animal. When enraged, it extends its hood, raises half its 
body from the ground, and throws off such puffs, that with them it 
kills chickens, hens and middle-sized quadrupeds. Its length is 
from five to seven spans, and its breadth is proportionate toits length. 
Its belly is white, the sides yellow and the back ofa dark grey with 
black points. On the open hood there can be seen two perfect SS 
[esses] of a black colour placed side by side. Although it is very 
fierce, it becomes so charmed at the sound of a juggler’s pipe, that 
it comes out of its hole to enjoy the melody nearer, then the juggler 
catches it, and shuts it in a basket, and with his tricks so tames it, 
that he makes it dance along with a rat, but its dancing movements 
