310 
Reptiles of Ceylon. 
vidence to give warningxto all those within this animaFs reach, 
that he is preparing to attack them: without this signal, he 
would be very dangerous indeed, as his motions afterwards are 
too rapid to be avoided. I have more than once been an eye- 
witness to instances where the fatal bite of this snake was 
escaped from merely by the object of his vengeance timely 
observing his preparations. 
One remarkable characteristic of these dangerous serpents is 
their fondness for music. Even when newly caught, they seem 
to listen with pleasure to the notes, and even to writhe them- 
selves into attitudes. The Indian jugglers improve greatly on 
this instinct ; and after taming them, by degrees instruct them 
even to keep time to their flagelets. 
The covra manilla, the most dreadful of all snakes, is about 
two feet long, and continues from head to tail nearly of the 
same thickness. Its colour is a reddish black. The bite proves 
almost instantly fatal, and has never been known to be re- 
covered from. By the goodness of Providence, however, this 
species is not numerous, and is almost entirely confined to 
some parts of the interior. Indeed, so rarely is it met with, 
that I have never conversed with one who had actually exa- 
mined, or even certainly seen it. The account I have given 
is taken from the most common reports on the subject. 
The whip-snake and grass-snake are both poisonous. They 
are of a greenish colour and speckled. 
The water-snake, the wood-snake, and a few other species 
usually found among old ruins, are perfectly harmless. They 
are distinguished from the poisonous kinds, by not raising 
themselves up to prepare for attack, but keeping their head 
close to the ground and hissing all the while. 
The rock-snake is an immense animal, extending to thirty 
