SNAKE-GHABMEBS 233 



a sort of somnolent condition. Its eyes, which at first watched 

 *^6 juggler as though in order to take him by surprise, are, to 

 a certain extent, fixed and fascinated by the latter's gaze. The 

 Hmdu takes advantage of this moment of stupefaction on the 

 part of the snake by approaching it slowly without ceasing to 

 play, and touches the head of the Cobra, first with his nose and 

 then with his tongue. Although this takes but an instant the 

 reptile starts out of its sleep, and the juggler has barely time to 

 throw himself backwards so as not to be struck by the snake, 

 which makes a furious dart at him. 



"We doubt whether the Cobra still has it fangs, and whether 

 the Hindu incurs any real danger in approaching it. Accordingly 

 we promise our man a Spanish piastre if he will make the snake 

 bite a couple of fowls. A black hen, which struggles violently, 

 is taken and offered to the Cobra, which half rises, looks at the 

 bird, bites it, and lets it go. The fowl is released and runs off 

 terrified. Six minutes later, by the watch, it vomits, stretches out 

 its legs, and dies. A second fowl is placed in front of the snake, 

 which bites it twice, and the bird dies in eight minutes." ' 



Certain jugglers exhibit snakes from which they have taken 

 care to extract the fangs ; they offer the animal a piece of cloth 

 or soft stuff into which it drives its poison-teeth, and the fabric is 

 then quickly snatched away in order by this means to break off 

 the poison- fangs that have penetrated it. This operation is repeated 

 at certain intervals with a view to preventing the reserve fangs 

 from coming into use, and the reptiles can then be handled 

 without any danger. 



It is unquestionable, however, and I have personally satisfied 

 myself of the fact, that many genuine snake-charmers go through 

 their performances with Cobras whose poison-apparatus is absolutely 

 intact. That they almost always avoid being bitten is due to a 

 perfect knowledge of the habits and movements of these reptiles. 



' Brehm's " Thierleben " ; French edition, " Les Reptiles," p. 430. 



