SNAKE-POISON LITERATURE. 35 



It is thought that the snake-charmers train or Training and 

 charm their so-called performing snakes so as to " snakes^ ° 

 make them do certain acts at the will of the 

 " charmers." Now, this is not the case. By the 

 training of a mammal, such as a horse for in- 

 stance — the animal is made to do certain acts, it 

 may be, foreign to its usual behaviour, or even 

 its nature, at the will of the trainer, and in the 

 process the animal's intelligence is appealed to. 

 But in the case of the cobra (and in that of per- 

 forming birds in a lesser degree) the manipula- 

 tor anticipates the natural behaviour of the reptile 

 under certain conditions, which alone he has 

 command over. And he is the best "charmer" 

 who is the most intimately conversant with the 

 movements of the creatures under varying con- 

 ditions. For example, I say, this cobra which is 

 now balancing itself before me, shall turn to the 

 right, raise itself higher, turn to the front again, 

 suddenly dart, and after rebalancing itself, put 

 its head down upon the table. To make the 

 snake accomplish this, I wave my right hand 

 very gently and turn it to the right, raise it 

 towards the head of the snake ; then bring it to 

 the front, and wave it at first very gently, then 

 rapidly, and suddenly bring my hand down in 



