Intimidating Attitudes 
process by which the hiss originated and gradu- 
ally increased by natural selection. We must 
suppose that the rattlesnake was formerly 
incapable of making any sound. One day a 
variety appeared in which the skin was slightly 
hardened, so that when the creature moved its 
body rapidly there issued a slight sound. This 
must have caused an enemy to refrain from 
attack ; it thus lived to transmit this peculiarity 
to its offspring, and those which made more noise 
than their ancestors escaped, while those that 
made less succumbed to their enemies. For our- 
selves, we find it quite impossible to believe that 
the rattle was thus gradually evolved by means 
of natural selection. Indeed, we are inclined to 
think that neither the hiss of the cobra nor its 
“intimidating attitude” has any terrifying effect 
on its adversary. In the case of the cobra we 
are able to cite positive evidence that dogs and 
cattle show no alarm at the attitude. 
“Dogs,” writes D. Dewar of this display, 
“regard it as a huge joke. Of this I have 
satisfied myself again and again, for when out 
coursing at Muttra we frequently came across 
cobras, which the dogs used invariably to chase, 
and we sometimes had great difficulty in keeping 
the dogs off, since they seemed to be unaware 
that the creature was venomous.” 
Colonel Cunningham writes, on page 347 of 
Some Indian Friends and Acquatntances : “Sport- 
P 225 
