NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
375 
He placed in the middle of the room a large box, which was 
carefully locked. He told me the box was always locked, unless 
he or his wife took out the snakes to feed or examine them. 
The first he produced from the box was a very fine common 
British snake {Gohiher natrix). His snakes have all got names, 
and this one's name was Julia. Julia not long ago laid thirty- 
six eggs, which were hatched out successfully. The next was 
also a common British snake. The ring round the neck was 
very bright in this snake. She rejoices in the name of Sylvia. 
Sylvia is very good at frogs ; lately she ate nine frogs, seven large 
frogs and two small, at one meal, one after the other. Mr. Mann 
has also two other common snakes, whose names are Proteus 
and Beatrice, or She of the Golden Hair. This modern snake- 
charmer then dived his hand into the box, and brought out an 
exceedingly lively brown-coloured snake. Tlie head is remark- 
ably pretty and lizard-like, and it has the poAver of moving the 
head very quickly from side to side ; the eye is also remarkably 
brilliant. This snake was bought from Jamrach ; it is called a 
Lacertine, and comes from the coast of Mogador, Northern 
Africa ; it is perfectly harmless. Mr. Mann has had the lacer- 
tine about twenty months. It is a pretty, elegant creature. It 
feeds on white mice. 
Mr. Mann then showed me the gem of his collection. It is a 
remarkably handsome Brazilian boa,, measuring between five and 
six feet long, and weighing from twelve to fourteen pounds. 
The name of this snake is " Cleo," short for Cleopatra. Con- 
tinual handling and petting has caused tliis snake to become 
most remarkably tame, and I think there can be no doubt that 
she knows individuals. When placed on the table, " Cleo " 
would not come to me at all, but glided away to her master, who 
was sitting at the opposite side of the table, and stretching her 
length from the tal)le to the chair, gradually pulled her long 
body on to him. She then glided up his right side, and folding 
her coils round his neck, placed her head close to her master's 
face, and there she lay for some minutes quivering her black 
forked tongue with evident pleasure. Mr. Mann's two little 
children, aged five and six respectively, then came into the room. 
They immediately ran to the snake and began playing with it, 
kissing it, and pulling it, calling it " Cleo ; dear Cleo." " Cleo " 
was then made to glide on the floor ; the children ran after 
her and picked her up, and the little girl twisted her up 
round her neck like a hoa. (I wonder if this was the origin of 
the word boa ?) " Cleo " evidently enjoyed the fun as much as 
the children. It was very curious to see these two little children 
encircled in "Cleo's" ponderous folds, reminding me much of 
