g2 Analyses of Boohs. [February, 
declaration that Mrs. W. was a truthful lady, and totally free 
from superstition. 
In a later part of the book an account is given of a Fakir 
who, at the court of Ranjit Singh, allowed himself to be en- 
tombed alive, and was resuscitated after the lapse of six weeks. 
As this incident has been repeatedly recorded, and has, so far 
as we are aware, never been called in question, there is no need 
for its repetition. We merely remark that here is a case of fast- 
ing much more signal than that of a late “ Docftor.” 
Among the few faCts on animal life here put on record must 
be mentioned the following, showing the tenacity of the black 
buck antelope of the Dekhan : — “ A fore and hind leg, both fore 
or both hind legs, broken, these animals will still test your horse 
severely ere you can capture them ; and I have seen a deer pass 
over more than 200 yards of rocky ground before he succumbed 
to a ball through the centre of his heart.” 
The author observed a striking instance that venomous ser- 
pents do not, as Waterton maintained, invariably confine them- 
selves to defensive warfare. A dog barked at two cobras, which 
were in a field. “ The snakes, immediately untwining, pursued 
the dog, which ran into the water. The snakes followed him 
instantly, and, swimming up to him, bit him so viciously that he 
died in half an hour.” This is an interesting facft in snake lore. 
Col. Fraser mentions a kind of wild dogs which run down deer 
in packs. He did not succeed in shooting one, but describes 
them as “ somewhat smaller, but stouter built, than a jackal, a 
reddish brown inclined to black about the knees and feet.” 
Serpent-charming is described. A professional charmer was 
sent for to some outhouses in which dogs and poultry were some- 
times found dead in the morning. The man was searched, in 
proof that he had no tame snakes secreted about his person, and 
then went to work. “ He examined the rat-holes, and, selecting 
one, he commenced piping a reedy monotonous treble for some 
five or six minutes, when a cobra’s head slowly emerged from 
the hole. With a forked stick he at once pinned the snake to the 
ground, and seizing it with the other hand behind the head, drew 
him gently out of the hole.” In another shed the charmer cap- 
tured another cobra in a similar manner, and put both into his 
basket. In proof that the man had actually enticed unsophisti- 
cated snakes from their retreats, he presented a fowl at the 
opening of the basket ; it was bitten, and died in a few minutes. 
Moreover, the jaws of one of the snakes were opened for the 
inspection of the regimental surgeon, who clearly recognised the 
poison-fangs. 
Of the prowess and ferocity of the tiger we find some fearful 
instances. One man is described as bitten at once through the 
shoulder-blades and the chest ; another had the upper half of 
his skull bitten cleanly off, “ as with a hatchet.” Tigers fre- 
quently bear the marks of old gun-shot wounds about them. It 
