CHAPTER I. 



Snakes most commonly met with in India — 

 Bisti/nguishing features of poisonous snakes — 

 The Horn-Snake — Rattle of the Rattlesnake — 

 Habits of snakes — How to feed them — Fascina- 

 tion, a myth — Wonderful snake stories — 

 Propagation — Peculiar odour of snakes — 

 Two-headed snakes — The bite, a very cmnplex 

 act — Causes of an ineffectual bite — Collection of 

 Venom — Snake-wallah's superstition about 

 killing — Training and charming of snakes — 

 Manipulation of snakes — Supposed love for 

 Musics—The Holy-men of the Soonderbwnds — 

 The Panseurs of St. Lucia — The fer de lance — 

 Indian Snake-charmers — Snakes used for 

 , criminal purposes. 



A S a prelude to the more critical portions of my 



theme, some observations upon snakes and 



their habits may be interesting and iastructive. 



Much of what I have to say is, of course, not 



