148 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST 
so slowly and continuously as almost to appear not 
to be moving; still, in most cases the movement 
probably would be detected but for the tongue, 
which attracts the eye by its eccentric motions, its 
sudden successive appearances and disappearances; 
watching the tongue, the long, sinuous body slowly 
gliding over the intervening space would not be 
observed; only the statuesque raised head and 
neck would be visible, and these would appear not 
to move. The snake’s action in such a case would 
resemble the photographer’s trick to make a restive 
child sit still while its picture is being taken by 
directing its attention to some curious object, or 
by causing a pocket-handkerchief to flutter above 
the camera. 
Snakes have been observed to steal upon their 
victims in this quiet, subtle manner; the victim, 
bird or lizard, has been observed to continue 
motionless in a watchful attitude, as if ready to 
dart away, but still attentively regarding the 
gradually approaching head and flickering tongue; 
and in the end, by a sudden, quick-darting motion 
on the part of the snake, the capture has been 
effected. Cases of this description are usually set 
down to “ fascination,” which I think is a mistake. 
Fascination is a fine old word, which has done 
good service and has had a long day and happily 
outlived its evil repute: but it had its faults at 
the best of times; it originally expressed things 
purely human, and therefore did not exactly fit 
things serpentine, and was, to some extent, mis- 
