Humble- Bees and other Matters. 161 



comes greatly excited when it sees one, and pro- 

 ceeds at once to destroy it ; they say, by running 

 round and round it in a circle, emitting its violent 

 smell in larger measure, until the snake dies of 

 suffocation. It is hard to believe that the effect 

 can be so great ; but that the deer is a snake hater 

 and killer is certainly true : in North America, 

 Ceylon, and other districts deer have been observed 

 excitedly leaping on serpents, and killing them -with 

 their sharp cutting hoofs. 



