WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



search for knowledge, this dangerous custom, without fear 

 or injury; and, from this experience, I have learned to 

 know the power they possess, and the difficulty of ascer- 

 taining when they will or will not use it. 



Depend upon it there are some species that have the 

 power of inflicting a poisoned wound which is so instan- 

 taneous in its action that it ensures certain death, not 

 only to any small animal, but to our own species ; but the 

 circumstances may vary to so great an extent, not only as 

 to the condition of the serpent, but also to the state of the 

 creature wounded, that the wound may be severe and the 

 poison trifling, or the wound may be trifling and the poison 

 fatal. 



Endless theories have been started. Pigs are supposed 

 to be able to withstand the poison ; it is possible the poison 

 may not reach the parts that would be affected by it — 

 the fat akin may save its bacon, or the hog may be the 

 aggressor, and, by attacking the snakes, startle them and 

 thus destroy them with impunity : for bear in mind these 

 much-dreaded poisonous serpents are loth to come forward 

 — if you want them you must seek them; they always 

 endeavour to escape, and unless injured or hard pressed, 

 or accidentally come upon, keep out of the way. 



There cannot be a doubt that a large number of the 

 deaths recorded as attributable to snake-bites, if fairly and 

 correctly ascertained, are due to causes not suspected. 



The conclusion I have arrived at with reference to 

 the poison of the larger species is simply that, in severe 

 cases, its action is so rapid and fatal that all remedies are 

 futile, and that a vast number of cases of injury are at 

 once taken in hand ; and in the case of but a small quantity 

 of the poison (or perhaps none at all) having been received, 

 the sufferer recovers, and a wonderful cure is announced 

 immediately. 



; 2V2 



