THE START 23 



easily to and fro through my hands, and once or twice 

 hiding its head between the sleeve and the body of 

 my coat. The doctor was not quite sure how the mus- 

 surama would behave, for it had recently eaten a small 

 snake, and unless hungry it pays no attention whatever 

 to venomous snakes, even when they attack and bite it. 

 However, it fortunately proved still to have a good ap- 

 petite. 



The jararaca was alert and vicious. It partly coiled 

 itself on the table, threatening the bystanders. I put the 

 big black serpent down on the table four or five feet from 

 the enemy and headed in its direction. As soon as I let 

 go with my hands it glided toward where the threatening, 

 formidable-looking lance-head lay stretched in a half coil. 

 The mussurama displayed not the slightest sign of excite- 

 ment. Apparently it trusted little to its eyes, for it began 

 to run its head along the body of the jararaca, darting 

 out its flickering tongue to feel just where it was, as it 

 nosed its way up toward the head of its antagonist. So 

 placid were its actions that I did not at first suppose that 

 it meant to attack, for there was not the slightest exhibi- 

 tion of anger or excitement. 



It was the jararaca that began the fight. It showed 

 no fear whatever of its foe, but its irritable temper was 

 aroused by the proximity and actions of the other, and 

 like a flash it drew back its head and struck, burying its 

 fangs in the forward part of the mussurama's body. Im- 

 mediately the latter struck in return, and the counter-at- 

 tack was so instantaneous that it was diflicult to see just 

 what had happened. There was tremendous writhing and 

 struggling on the part of the jararaca; and then, leaning 



