30 THE LAND-MARKS OF 



waa made concave, and a piece of leather was tacked 

 across the concavity, designed to press on the snake's 

 neck and secure without injuring it. 



To employ this arrangement, the box was closed and the 

 door raised, a cord having been previously run through 

 the central tube. This cord bore on its extremity a loop 

 which was thrown over the tail of the snake, and carried 

 up between three and four inches. To effect this man- 

 oeuvre, I was usually obliged to hold the snake down with 

 a long stick notched at the end. The serpent being thus 

 noosed, the loop was tightened, and an assistant tilted 

 the* box over the cage and rapidly drew the snake back- 

 wards into the tube, while a second person standing in 

 front guided the snake with a long rod. 



As soon as the tail appeared at the small end of the 

 box, it was secured by the assistant, and the looped 

 String which held it was wound around a nail. At this 

 instant the head sometimes retreated into the box. 

 After waiting a moment, it usually re-appeared 

 again, and was then seized with a pair of long forceps, 

 and held, while the door was pushed down on the neck 

 and made fast with the wedge. When the snake waa 

 small, it sometimes contrived to turn around in the 

 box before the tail emerged and thus reverse its desired 

 position. This occurence twice exposed the operator 

 to great danger ; it was finally provided against by the 

 aid of a large cork, which was strung upon the cord 

 and was used to close the small end of the tube when 

 the snake was of a size to make it possible for it to 

 turn in the tube. When the snake was thus properly 



