196 
NATURE NOTES 
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
286. Mongoose and Cobra Fights. — In Indian bazaars the natives 
often give an exhibition of fights between a mongoose and a cobra ; in which the 
mongoose comes off victorious, in spite of being bitten by a snake in full posses- 
sion of its poison fangs. Hence the belief that the mongoose is proof against 
snake poison. This is not the case. Experiments have proved that it only 
requires a little more of the poison to be injected into its system, than into a 
rabbit’s, to cause death. The mongoose is such a skilful fighter, and so very 
quick, while its hair is almost as good a protection as a coat of mail, that it is 
almost impossible for the cobra to strike it fatally. It watches its antagonist, 
and jumps aside when the snake strikes, and if it does receive a bite no fatal 
effect follows. The poison fangs being back in the jaw, the cobra’s mouth must 
be opened wide to bring them into play ; and to be effective the blow in striking 
must be driven right home. When the cobra bites its adversary its front teeth 
rarely, if ever, reach the skin of the mongoose ; and the poison fangs do not 
penetrate at all. Thus the mongoose may apparently be bitten over and over 
again without receiving a single scratch. 
Southacre Rectory, Edmunu Thos. Daubeny. 
Swaffham, Norfolk, 
September, 1905. 
287. Swallows’ Nest in a Closed Porch. — Our front door opens into 
a porch which is closed from 10 p.m. till 7 or 7.30 a.m., and lighted only by 
a small window which does not open. Early in their nesting season a pair of 
swallows began to build on the top of the arch over the door into the house. 
The housemaid destroyed the nest, but the birds began building again, and then 
she tried keeping the outer doors shut all day. But if any one left them open for 
five minutes the birds returned, and when the weather became hot they took 
advantage of the doors being again open all day, and quickly finished the nest. 
We forbade its being disturbed, and soon found that the hen was sitting. The 
cock roosted close to her on the dripstone of the arch every night, with his head 
turned towards hers, and was very attentive in feeding his mate all day, except 
twice when he got into the house by mistake and was very stupid about finding 
his way out again. They brought off four young ones, who used to sit in a row 
on the edge of the nest. They never can have had food before 7 a.m., usually 
later, but they throve well, hbr some days after they first flew, they came back 
to the nest during heavy rain, and the young ones came to bed at 6, the parents 
going on feeding them till 7.30 p.m., but a fortnight later they all stayed out till 
dusk. The hen flew off her nest every time any one passed through the door, 
till we thought the eggs would be chilled, but no harm came of it. 
Cumberland, September, 1905. E. II. 
288. Successive Occupancy of Nest. — I have known pied wagtails 
use a blackbird’s nest after the young had flown, and last year I saw a wren 
rearinc a late brood in a swallow’s nest over an archway in my parish. 
W. A. SiiAW. 
289. A Lucky Escape. — There is a very tame willow wren here which 
seems to delight in feeding in the middle of the road, and 1 have had to avoid 
running over it with my cycle on .several occasions. The other day I slowed 
down as usual, but the bird got up as I was alongside and flew through my front 
wheel, luckily without injury. W. A. SllAW. 
290. Scarcity of Nightingales. — In Northants we have not noticed 
any scarcity of nightingales this year, but garden warblers have been quite rare, 
though usually abundant. VV. A. SuAW. 
291. Birds of West Sussex. — Whilst away for my holiday in Sus.sex 
I heard that an osprey had been [licked u|> in an emaciated condition with a trap 
on one of its legs. Its companion, however, was still in Chichester Harbour, 
and I know that the redshank and at least two pairs of stone curlews nested 
safely in the neighbourhood. 
Haselbeech Rectory, jVortliumpton. W. A. SuAW. 
