170 



the AmpMsbcena, a snake supposed to walk forwards and 

 backwards with equal facility; its extremities were also 

 supposed to exchange functions every year, and it died 

 on producing its young. The ' double-headed' . snake is 

 manufactured by snake-jugglers and exhibited to the 

 credulous, European or Indian. 



The fiction of the ' male cobra' {Ptyas mucosus) and the 

 many marvels told about venomous, or supposed venomous, 

 snakes do not demand aay notice ; as far as I have seen 

 their absurdity is not redeemed by any interesting circum- 

 stance of origin. 



The reverence paid to the ndgam is dying out in India 

 with the decay of the Hindu religion, but it is still wide- 

 spread. It is considered a lucky thing if a cobra takes 

 up its abode in or near the house and the snake is pro- 

 pitiated by offerings of eggs and milk ; if it does not 

 qonsume these, it yet appears to appreciate the feelings 

 which prompted their offer and to refrain from any injury 

 to the occupants of the house. It certainly does good by 

 keeping down the rats. Accidents sometimes happen from 

 a person treading in the dark on one of these half-tame 

 cobras, but they are by no means frequent, and the Indians 

 who do not regard the cobra with feelings of love at least 

 have sufiicient respect for it not to wantonly incur the 

 vengeance of the serpent-demons by doing it harm.* 



In Malabar the legend of Parasuramen teaches forbear- 

 ance towards the naga. According to the Keralolpatti, 

 Parasuramen (an incarnation of Vishnu) standing on the 

 heights which then formed the coast of the Western sea, 



* Of course I speak here of respectable Hindoos ; for amongst the 

 pariah castes and the aboriginal tribes commonly known as 'jungle 

 people,' there is no hesitation in killing a cobra for the sake of the 

 reward. But in the absence of this motive, even these people show 

 towards snakes the passive humanity usual to Indians. 



