THEIE NATUBE AND EFFECTS. 115 



fang of the cobra is comparatively smal], and the object 

 to be poisoned must be well within the grasp of the 

 jaws before the poison can be injected ; thus the prey 

 must be securely caught before it can be poisoned. It 

 is true that all the varieties of the cobra have not exactly 

 the same habits ; but, of course, habits are infinitely 

 more capable of alteration than structures. 



The daboia, on the other hand, is a dreader of water ; 

 seldom, indeed, can it be induced to enter it, and I am 

 not sure that in a state of nature it ever drinks it. Tt 

 will live for months without touching it, though it is 

 constantly offered. Its favourite food seems to be small 

 mammals, lizards, and even birds. With its large fangs,, 

 easily movable and capable of protrusion laterally quite 

 out of the mouth, it is able to inflict wounds on animals 

 that it has never had within its grasp. I have my- 

 self been scratched by the fang of a viper on a finger 

 which I thought was at a safe distance ; and here, 

 perhaps, we get a glimpse of the reason why it is of 

 advantage to the daboia to have a venom different from 

 that of the cobra. For should the daboia but wound a 

 small mammal or lizard in the slightest degree, escape 

 is Impossible ; for in a few seconds the little animal 

 must fall over in convulsions. Thus the viper has but 

 to make one dart forward and wound his victim, and 

 await with confidence the result. Full of significance 

 in thi% direction is the fact that daboia-poisou is very 

 much less deadly to frogs than cobra-venom. The 



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