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Account of Hamadryas OphiopJmgus. [April 



cages without any food for more than ten months. Two specimens of 

 the Hamadryas in my possession were regularly fed by giving them 

 a serpent, no matter whether venemous or not, every fortnight. As 

 soon as this food is brought near, the serpent begins to hiss loudly, and 

 expanding the hood rises two or three feet, and retaining this attitude 

 as if to take a sure aim, watching the movements of the prey, darts 

 upon it in the same manner as the Naja tripudians does. When the 

 victim is killed by poison, and by degrees swallowed, the act is follow- 

 ed by a lethargic state, lasting for about twelve hours. Such of the 

 other Indian venomous serpents, the habits of which I have had 

 opportunity to study from life, show themselves much inclined to avoid 

 other Berpents, however ready they are to attack men or animals, when 

 provoked or driven by hunger; and I am not aware of any other of 

 those serpents being recorded as preying upon its own kind. A 

 short time ago, however, during my sojourn at the Cape of Good Hope, 

 I received from high authority the following fact, which throws a light 

 upon the habits of the Naja of Southern Africa, one of which, when 

 being captured, threw up the body of a Vipera arietans (Vip. Brachy- 

 urus, Cuvier) which bore marks of having been submitted to the process 

 of digestion. 



*'The Hamadryas, like the greater number of Indian serpents, evinces 

 a great partiality to w^ater ; with the exception of the tree-serpents 

 (Leptophina, Bell) they all not only drink, but aiso moisten the tongue, 

 which, as this organ is not situated immediately in the cavity of the 

 mouth, become in the serpents two different acts. Specimens of this 

 serpent in my possession changed the skin every third or fourth month, 

 a process which takes place in all the Indian serpents several times 

 during the year. The Hamadryas is very fierce, and is always ready 

 not only to attack but to pursue when opposed; while the Cophias, the 

 "Vipera, the Naja, and the Bungarus, merely defend themselves, which 

 done, they always retreat, provided no further provocation is offered. 

 The natives of India assert, that individuals are found upwards of 

 twelve feet in length, a statement probably not exaggerated, as I have 

 myself seen specimens from eight to ten feet in length, and from six to 

 eight inches in circumference. I have often heard it asserted, that 

 * Cobras' (which name is naturally enough given to every hooded ser- 

 pent) have been met with of an enormous size, but I strongly doubt 

 their belonging to the genus Naja: among a considerable number 

 which have come under my observation, I never saw any exceeding 

 five to six feet in length, while the common size is about four feet. 

 Some time before I discovered the Hamadryas, I was favoured by 



